6/01/99 Roanoke Airport   Miles Today : 9+ Miles to Katahdin : ~540

Well, I did it today, I got off the trail. I don't really want to go into it right now, but I just got sick of pushing myself. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, and I don't feel well. Not that this is anything new, mind you, but combine that with my feelings yesterday, and I just don't have the strength to keep on hiking. I stopped several times today, trying to convince myself that I should keep going. After all, the trail goes right PAST Roanoke, all I have to do is just tough it out for another week or two, and I am there.

But none of that worked. Mostly, I want to fly home, see my girlfriend, and not have any more miles to walk. Its not with an easy heart that I leave the trail, however. I find that as I was sitting in the cab on the way to the airport, I was very sad to be leaving what had become my way of life behind. I told no one that I was leaving, left not trace of my departure.

That's all I have to say for now, I will try to flush out my feelings at a later point, but for now all I want to do is get home.

-Chomp

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