It's over when it's over.

The journal I used on the Wonderland Trail.

I write. A lot. Way more than it may seem, based on the frequency of my posts. I have 6 posts sitting in my drafts right now. Some are messy outlines of thoughts that will probably never amount to anything other than that, and some are fully flushed pieces with photos and everything. I used to think I was scared to post since I don't have an editor and often catch errors after I post them- no matter how many times I review it on my own- but I've realized that's not totally true. Sure, that's part of it. But I've realized that putting my experiences onto paper makes them feel final.

It's kind of silly. I go on plenty of adventures. And I write about them all the time. Writing brings more out of the adventure than just the action. It allows me to dig deeper into how I felt, what I saw and reflect upon it once I'm showered and in my bed. 

If I want to call myself a writer, I realized that I need to get over this silly limit I put on myself. 

Just because I put it into words and put it online for the world to see, doesn't mean it's over. The experience itself was over the moment I moved to the next. But part of the experience is the reminiscing that happens after, the words I write about it, the doodles I draw. It becomes part of everything I do, even in a subtle way. Sometimes even I don't realize it.

Once I leave the trail, the experience goes on. Other people can experience it through my words and photos.

And I think that's why I write in the first place.