Four years removed from her first long-distance hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, Julie, aka Stopwatch, is ready to embark on another thru-hike, this time following the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail, a 2181 mile continuous footpath from Georgia to Maine. She is accompanied by her husband, Matt, aka Optimist, for whom it is his second thru-hike of the AT. They are both burnt out from stressful jobs and are both hopeful that the simplicity of the trail life will recharge their batteries, especially since they have experience on their side. For Julie, it is a chance to improve the person that she came to be and came to dislike, and for Matt, it is a chance to relive old memories while living the trail life he'd come to love. While they could never predict all that would unfold over the months ahead, with volatility in the weather and in their moods, they expect the trail to change the way they see themselves and the world around them. They are also not alone on the trail. Each day they are presented with new perspectives from the varied cast of trail characters hiking alongside them, a few of which have a lasting impression on their hike. This book is for those that appreciate challenges that lead us down the path of self-honesty, who are willing to join Matt and Julie as they make their way through rainy weather and rocky terrain, as expectations meet reality, as they meet new people along the way, and as they search for meaning in it all, all the while following the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail.
About the Author: Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Julie has traveled through much of the U.S., whether on foot, via bicycle, or in a car. She has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Colorado Trail (2007, 2011, 2012), and bicycled down the Pacific coast from Portland, Oregon to the border of Mexico. In addition to living in Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, California and Washington, she and her husband have lived abroad in Spain, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Guatemala, and hope to have many more worldly experiences. She is an avid runner, always chasing a faster time or a longer distance, having completed one 100 miler, one 50 miler, a 50K, and 19 marathons, including the Boston marathon. Her husband is the force behind her and the impetus that lands her in unique, challenging, and otherwise dreary situations that always seem to end on a positive note of self-realization, mental strength, and the desire to do it all over again. Julie and her husband currently live in Seattle, Washington. To read more about their past, current, and upcoming adventures, visit their website at urbyville.com. Her other work includes The Trail Life: How I Loved it, Hated it, and Learned from it, a book about her first long-distance hiking experiences on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.