March 1

Been very busy lately.  This past monday, my uncle helped me move everything out of my apartment and into storage.  Had a great lunch at an Indian restaurant in town.  Then that evening my aunts prepared a delicious dinner of some of my favorites:  roast beef, cheese grits, asparagus, and yorkshire pudding.  Tuesday I had to work, and Wednesday morning I turned in my keys.  Officially no longer a Charlottesville resident, after 10 years.  It was kinda sad leaving.  I really liked that apartment.  Locking the door and walking away, I started to recall good memories.  I remembered shoveling out my car from the heavy snow storms, spending time with my brother wrapping Christmas presents in the living room, hearing the children play outside at the daycare center near by, all the early mornings and late nights coming and going.....and it hit me like a ton of bricks; I won't be coming back to that place again.  Reality is here.  This is a strange feeling.  I haven't felt it in years, since leaving Williamsburg after college, and leaving home before that to go to college.  My adult life so far has been spent in Charlottesville, so I am writing this with a heavy heart.  But.......for all those somber emotions, I am equally excited, and then some, to start this journey.  I can't wait to get on the trail.  What a marker to start the next chapter!  If you're going to do it, why not go all out, right?  I will be setting out with no other plans except to just take the trail experience for what it is.  I feel like starting at Springer with a kilt, blue face paint, and yelling "Frrreeeeeddddooooommmmm!".  Yeh, that's not going to happen, but it's funny to imagine.  Oh, and I've gotten a head start on my trail beard.  Haven't shaved in a week.  I feel like I'm cheating a little bit, but I figure it'll be good to get the itchy stage out of the way.  So if any of y'all see me before I leave, I might look a little different!  Considering I get 5 o'clock shadow at noon, this should get interesting.