Thinking about this question, what first comes to mind is what I do not miss. The noise of civilization comes to mind first. I have taken longish backcountry trips before and when I returned to Portland, the cars whizzing by on 39th Avenue had me on edge for over a week before I acclimated to city life again. Now after being on the PCT for over a month, being in something as simple as a remote town with a small grocery store with all of the music, talking, and the noise that humans create is slightly unsettling.

Showers and beds are odd now too. I am staying with the Boyink family this weekend and even though I could easily sleep in their RV, I feel far more comfortable sleeping outside, under the stars, with a bit of wind. And, I feel no compulsion to take a shower every day or even every other day. I am hardly getting dirty sitting around eating, talking, and reading books. Why would I need to shower? Showers are now meant for when you need to wash off the grime after days on the trail and be presentable.

I definitely daydream about reading material and food on the trail. The ability to eat the wide assortment of foods in an American grocery store is truly a wonder when you think about it. Ice cream, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, stir fry, salads, et cetera. All sound really good when I get into town. And, I have now finished seven books on this trip. Every town stop has me tossing one book into the Hiker Box and looking for a new one (or two) for the next section.

The cool weather of the Pacific Northwest combined with my old, glorious apartment has been on my mind during the bad days too. While crossing the Mojave desert, I had at least a litre and a half of water throughout the night and still woke up dehydrated. The hot, arid weather does not agree with me. Being able to watch a windy, wet storm go on outside while watching Doctor Who and eating pie often sounds like bliss.

What I really miss most though, is friendly, relaxed company. The trail is stressful. It is all too often empty and even a bit lonely. There have been a handful of days when I see no one until the end of the day and at least a third of my nights have been spent camping alone. Despite all of my introverted and asocial tendencies, I do crave human companionship on a semi-regular basis. Part of this trip's learning experience is being forced to examine how isolated I have made my non-trail daily life and how going further down that path is unenjoyable in the long term.

The examination of how to balance my need to be alone, do challenging adventures, and my desire for human company is ongoing. Many more months to think about it.

UPDATE: OK, so let's get one thing straight. While I do not really miss showers on a daily basis, after five or six days of hiking I greatly enjoy washing the grime off both myself and my clothes.