Two and a half months into the Appalachian Trail, somewhere in New Jersey, the idea of completing a thru-hike began to settle in.
By then, the body knew what to do.
My ankle was tender.
My mind was still.
The trail had worn me down just enough to make me pay attention.
That’s when I passed a gated government facility.
A Simple Sign
Nothing special.
Just a marker.
Gate #77
Without explanation, something internally shifted—the feeling that I was onto something important.
Not a beginning.
Not an ending.
A threshold.
Why 77 Mattered This Time
I’d seen the number before, earlier in the journey.
My mind flashed back to Chunky Gal Trail #77.
Then another memory surfaced — a word I’d recorded months earlier in The Gambia, a video I call Book 77.
The thoughts came quickly.
So I took out my phone and started speaking.
Gate #77 became the second witness on trail. I was paying attention.
77.
77.
What This Video Is
This isn’t about signs.
It’s about sequence.
Some moments only make sense after you’ve lived a little longer.
Some gates only reveal themselves once you’re already on the other side.
The Part I Didn’t Understand—Until Last Week
Just last week, a mentor texted me an image.
That’s when it landed.
77 years, 7 months, and 7 days since Israel became a nation.
Suddenly, everything came together—the trail, the timing, the recording in Africa, the gate in New Jersey.
📖 Book 77—coming shortly—reveals the full picture.
If you’ve ever looked back and realized that’s when things changed—even though nothing dramatic happened at the time—you’ll understand Government Gate #77.
—
More soon.
I’m Gr8ful.
