boring and depressed after my thru

[Trailbender]

I summitted Katahdin on August 12th. Ever since I have gotten back, I am bored and restless. I have taken short hikes on weekends, which helps. I am back in college, only taking 9 hours this semester. I feel like everything since my thru is boring and sucks. I just kinda go through each day, and it is over before I know it.

If I didn't have 25K in student loans, I would just go live on the trail. I am considering it anyways. Everything is drab and boring now.

[JAK]

It might be the 25k that has you down as much as the change in lifestyle. I suppose you can take some comfort in the fact that many people are going through the same sort of thing. Good luck with your studies. You might find and take up some new interest, that is compatable with your studies. What are you studying, if you don't mind me asking?

[johnnybgood]

Hang in there no matter what . Get that college degree and the career that you dreamed and things will start to look up.
There are many shorter hikes in your future -- start planning that next adventure.

All the luck Trailbender and happy trails to you .

[Lilred]

Don't forget the old saying, "All good things must come to an end" Life is boring and does suck for the most part. You have to make your own fun. Have you outgrown your major? Perhaps a change to a profession that will keep you outdoors is in order.
Forest Ranger? DNR Officer? Border Patrol? (that last one was a joke....)

[Lilred]

johnnybgood has nailed it. Start planning the next adventure. Remember, planning is half the fun...

[Luddite]

You should quit school and go hike the PCT or the CDT.

[grayfox]

Trailbender, what you are experiencing is a normal reaction. It is similar to mourning and grief in the effect on your life. Go to the library and flip trough a book or two about dealing with grief.

I need to know more about you before I can offer you any decent advice so take my comments as just my own opinion.

You are thirty, you have just compleated a dream summer where you have had a degree of freedom and responsibility your younger classmates and even your teachers can not hope to understand. Do not look to them for help or understanding because you are not likely to find a kindred soul at school. Look for an outdoor oriented club like Sierra or local hiking club and do as much as you can with them. And we are here to at least sympathise with you.

As for school, knuckle down and get it done. Load up on credits next semester and just do it. My take is this, you get the same degree for C's as for A's. Just hope you are not a med student! Look at it like getting the miles in to get to the grocery store before it closes. Get that degree in your pocket and move on with your life. Think of the podium, hand shake, and parchment as another version of Katadin.

[Lion King]

things to do at college to take your mind off it:

Get laid
Drink
Get laid again

[Jeff]

Hey Hollywood,

You can come live at Green Mountain House.

[Kernel]

Plan another thru right after grad !!

[Trailbender]

It might be the 25k that has you down as much as the change in lifestyle. I suppose you can take some comfort in the fact that many people are going through the same sort of thing. Good luck with your studies. You might find and take up some new interest, that is compatable with your studies. What are you studying, if you don't mind me asking?

Nah, I don't worry or focus on debt. I will get it paid off when I graduate, or not. Either way, that is a future worry.

I think I will plan a PCT hike, for after my graduation. I do enjoy my short hikes at local parks, I wasn't knocking them. It does help a lot, just to take a day hike or an overnight every weekend.

[rambunny]

I can relate-i had a hard time adjusting to re-entry. Things that helped me-talking with others that had long distance hiked ( find someone no matter what year they did it). Talking to childrens groups-Scouts-churches ect. Put on a 1 day seminar-So you want to hike the AT-and share what you've learned. Imersing myself in trail books . Good luck

[bigcranky]

Hey, Hollywood,

Three things:

1. Short term -- if you find that you are having a hard time dealing with this on your own, then your campus counseling center may be able to help. Of course at this distance no one can tell if you are just suffering from a little ennui, which is to be expected at this point, or the beginnings of something else. Given your description of "I just kinda go through each day" it wouldn't hurt to just swing by there one day and have a chat. (I am speaking as someone who clearly should have gone to the counseling center in college, and regret not doing so.)

2. Medium term -- does your college have an outdoor club? Can you volunteer as a leader? Not only with this get you outside, it will let you use your experience to teach others, and put you in the company of like-minded people.

3. Long term -- you didn't say how far along you are in your college education. However, as others have mentioned, your experience on the Trail should give you some insight into how you want to spend the rest of your life. Now is the time to start that process -- with your college major, with any volunteer opportunities, internships, basically anything you can do to (a) figure out what to do, and (b) make it happen.

Good luck.

[tucker0104]

I have a degree and a great job but every day I think about giving it up for the laid back life. I am envious of those that can just do what they want when they want too. They work as waiters or bartenders and can just pick up and go. I am planning on paying off my house, hiking the rest of the trail, and then buying a sailboat and becoming a charter sailboat captain in the carribean.

[Blissful]

If you are bored, help some youth in your community get out and enjoy the outdoors. Get involved in Big Brothers, Scouting, etc Do things for others instead of thinking of your woes - it does help. And be glad you had the experience you did.

[Torch09]

hey man, atleast you finished! I've still got that post trail depression from '09 with the added bonus of knowing I failed. With my self esteem at its lowest possible level I was about to seek professional help when realized that I could simply hike again. 2011-- my year of redemption!

[DapperD]

I summitted Katahdin on August 12th. Ever since I have gotten back, I am bored and restless. I have taken short hikes on weekends, which helps. I am back in college, only taking 9 hours this semester. I feel like everything since my thru is boring and sucks. I just kinda go through each day, and it is over before I know it.

If I didn't have 25K in student loans, I would just go live on the trail. I am considering it anyways. Everything is drab and boring now.

There is a thru-hiker who is a member here and hiked last year and posted a thread similar to yours. I guess it was mentioned that the post hike feelings could be attributed to a post thru-hike "funk":http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55792

[Pilgrim2K]

Trailbender, I noticed that you live in Tennessee. There is the ALDHA Gathering coming up October 15-17 in Pipestem WVa. which is only a few hours from you. It is a great weekend filled with thru-hikers from not only this year, but from years past. It is another way for you to ease back into the off trail world. It will also help you connect with others that are planning their new adventures. You can get more info at www.aldha.org.
Check it out and I hope to see you there.

[singing wind]

Trailbender - congrats on your thru-hike!

Re-entry can be quite a challenge and a massive rollcoaster negotiating the more mudane PUDs that one can encounter along the way. Sometimes walking this terrain requires as much planning and foresight as preparing for a thru-hike...not only to be able to appreciate your accomplishment but also to be able to go forward.

Although it may not seem like it right now, hopefully your reentry process will help you gain skills in other areas that can help you with your life and future goals, just as your thru-hike challenged you to learn and grow.

Other posters have offered some good suggestions - I've often found it helpful to keep physically active as well as renew old interests or begin new ones. Sounds like you've got alot to offer.

Good luck with everything and all the best with your studies.

[Kashmir]

I'm currently going through the exact same thing....

I'd agree with going to the counseling center... I have an appointment for this thursday to go talk to someone. and at least at Penn State where I am it's free..

I've been having alot of anxiety,, it's slowly getting better each week though and It's not nearly as bad as it was right after I got back to classes and such...