PCT Day 74: Hello… It’s Me
First off—today is Summit Sunday. A day to reflect on my biggest challenge or accomplishment of the week.
This week, my biggest challenge has been my mentality. But also… documenting this whole experience. Or honestly, my guilt for not documenting it. I came out here thinking I’d be writing more, sharing more. But the truth is, this trail is constantly throwing stuff at me—physically, emotionally, unexpectedly—and it’s a lot to process, let alone post about.
But two major lessons have really stood out to me this week:
1. The list of things I can’t control is massive.
2. The list of things I can control is tiny.
And honestly? That’s humbling.
I’ve realized that I naturally take on leadership roles and like to plan ahead, but sometimes that crosses into trying to control things that just aren’t mine to control. And that never ends well. Out here, the best thing I can be is flexible—not rigid.
“Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape” -Robert Ludlum
I’m learning that it’s okay if things don’t go exactly how I pictured. It’s okay to change the plan. And most importantly, it’s okay to be quiet, to not post, and to just live out the experience.
Trail life has made it very clear: control is kind of a joke. One moment I feel on top of everything—my mileage, my mindset, my daily routine—and the next, the elevation changes dramatically, I tweak something, there’s no service for 9 days, my mood just tanks out of nowhere, and the mosquitos are just outright eating my soul.
“The inevitable confrontation of untamable circumstances are endless.” -Me
But when I zoom out, my day-to-day controllable things really boils down to:
• Wake up
• Walk
• Eat
• Walk
• Drink water
• Walk
• (Not gonna say that one)
• Walk
• Update the fam
• Walk
• Sleep
• Repeat
It’s simple. But also, not. Because in those simple steps, I’m exerting a lot. I mean 18-20 miles a day is unreal. That’s over 50,000 steps a day. Steps that are technical, painful, and sometimes risky.
I’m learning to give myself grace. That just because I don’t sit down to write a big story to blog every day, doesn’t mean I’m not taking this hike seriously.
So maybe today’s summit isn’t a literal one—but it feels like one. Because it’s not easy to be honest about the mental stuff. The self-doubt. The lack of motivation. The overwhelm. The guilt.
But I’m still here. I’m still walking.
And for today, that’s enough.
This post is a reminder that the journey is still happening even when it’s not being documented.
So that’s all for today’s entry. I’ll MAYBE be writing for Motivation Monday in the next entry tomorrow 7/14. Thank you so much for reading. Much love to you.
-Belle
