1. 96 degree rainy daytime desert weather + 20 degree nighttime desert weather = hypothermia. Also, that being dehydrated and feeling like you are going to faint or throw up isn't a comfortable feeling at 7,000 feet on a narrow sand trail on the edge of the mountain.
2. When a rattlesnake is in the middle of the only two-foot wide trail you can follow on the edge of the mountain, you have no choice but to go by him. And hope he's in a hospitable mood.
3. The phrase, "My friends Roly Poly and Rabbit did a shake down for me," has a completely different meaning than what you'd expect. It means they went through my pack and helped me reduce my weight by a pound. (When carrying all you own for months on end on your back, a pound can feel like a ton!)
4. Discovering a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere in the desert can be as satisfying as finding a Portillos. (OK, only our Illinois friends will get that one!)
5. Finding a trail angel has left a trash bag for you to dispose of your garbage is sometimes more valuable than the food and water they left. (See number 3 above)
6. Spending way more time than you are comfortable with looking at naked people is tolerable when it means you will be able to soak your tired and aching muscles at the nudist hot springs
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7. Sometimes the loudest (and only) sounds you hear are the voices in your own head, arguing about whether or not to keep plugging along or give it all up and go home.
8. That one of the things hikers look most forward to is being given a trail name by the other hikers they meet and sometimes hike and camp with along the way. Funny that many of the hikers we meet seem to think that "Kirby" is an unusual enough name to already be her trail name!
9. That the kindness of townsfolk to offer rides, places to set up camp, and even stay open a bit extra to give a hiker a much needed cold beer, can reaffirm our faith in the human race. You're in a vulnerable place out there in the wild, so knowing you have to be able to trust people is a necessity. (And also the kindness of a certain dad and mom, who were willing to drive over 7 hours round trip to help out three cold, wet and exhausted novice hikers!!!)
10. And finally, that GPS tracker phones are both a blessing and a curse. Our parents knowing where we are is a blessing, but them panicking when we seem to be moving rapidly in a strange pattern, and you know we must be in a car, and they're positive we are in a trunk being abducted, is definitely a curse. The next time you the parents, I'm sure they will have a head full of grey hair!