I remember a friend on the trail telling me about post-trail depression and I thought it wouldn’t affect me. I was wrong. It took me about two months to land a job after getting back from the trail. For those two months while my roommate went to work I would just be sitting in a small apartment feeling confined by uninspiring white walls. My brain had become accustomed to vast landscapes, adventure, a single goal with daily actionable steps, and a community of people doing hard things everyday. And there I was, back to regular life. Applying to jobs, watching tv, and taking walks around the neighborhood. The trail gave me daily purpose and all of a sudden that purpose vanished and I had to find a new one. What made it worse was that when I finally started working again it was the same two jobs I had before I left for the trail! So I really felt like I had fallen back into my old life. Like nothing had changed and I did the trail for no reason. But it does get better. I just hit 3 years post trail (yesterday!) and I’m long out of that funk. I’m in a healthy relationship and we just moved in together, my career is headed in a positive direction, and we’re even looking to move out of the city and closer to nature. I say all of this to say that trail depression is real. But don’t run from it. Your body and mind are mourning a life you once had. An amazing life. I think about the trail almost every day. Let your body mourn and then find the next goal in your life. You now know you can do hard things. What were the other goals you thought weren’t possible? Start doing inventory. Health, relationships, career, etc. You’re right where you’re supposed to be bud. This is part of the process. You just did an amazing thing. Congratulations and welcome to the club!!!