Today was week three of “A Year of Hikes: 52 Weeks, 52 Women, Same Trail.” Today’s hike was a very different experience as I hiked with Lucy Austin, a good friend for more than 30 years! I’ve known her son since shortly after he was born and got to hear all about his recent wedding. Lucy, a retired teacher, knows all five of my kids and even taught some of them and made beautiful t-shirt quilts for my twin daughters when they graduated from college…now that’s a good friend!

It was GREAT to catch up! We haven’t seen much of each other since COVID, so we had a lot of talking to do…honestly the hike wasn’t quite long enough!! We shared how our lives have continued to evolve…my upcoming launch of PT4W as a national membership platform in mid-February and Lucy future plans …so exciting! And of course, we thrilled over the fact that we are both expecting new grandchildren!

We noted the light in the sky, how the frozen ground crunched beneath our feet and how the snow, tucked behind rock outcroppings, was still visible. We marveled and wondered about a long stone wall that borders part of the AT…Why is it there? Who built it? How long has it been there? I know Lucy is the teacher, but I gave her an assignment to research the wall and tell me all about it!

We chatted about our extended families, upcoming trips, movies on Prime, books and even a little bit about current events. Even though we got a little winded hiking some steep sections of the trail, the talking never stopped. It’s like that with old friends…you pick up right where you left off and the time in between seems like the blink of an eye. Thanks, Lucy Austin.