"PopHike, my 2,650-mile hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail, brought about some profound physical changes. I lost 40 pounds and went five months without shaving. My 20-mile-per-day schedule caused my feet to swell from a size 10 V shoe to a size 12 V Extra Wide. But now the beard is gone, my old shoes fit again and, alas, I have gained back most of the weight. It is the mental and emotional changes from my sabbatical that show no signs of abating. The long days of solitude combined with the constant challenges presented by treacherous snowfields, high altitudes, desert heat, remote wilderness and physical exhaustion have dramatically altered my perspective regarding my life, my priorities and the mission of Planned Parenthood.

A sabbatical is meant to change your perspective and restore your enthusiasm for your life's work. After 15 years of working for Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge, I was in need of restoration. While hiking 12 hours in a day, the tumblers of my mind were in constant motion. Not a day passed without my reflecting on the mission of Planned Parenthood and how best to meet both its opportunities and its challenges. I spent hours examining every aspect of our organization and reflecting on our strengths and weaknesses, our triumphs and our mistakes, our past and our future.

Special thanks to so many of you who supported PopHike and my efforts to raise money for our affiliate through per-mile pledges and donations. In total, PopHike raised more than $75,000 for our affiliate after expenses, and thousands of additional dollars for other Planned Parenthood affiliates and several selected environmental organizations. We were also able to raise awareness of the 1994 United Nations "Cairo Agreement" that provides a comprehensive framework for addressing family size, population and overconsumption issues in order to preserve the global environment and enhance our quality of life. In championing the Cairo Agreement through events, media interviews and the www.pophike.org website, I have found another important means by which to further the vital mission of Planned Parenthood.

I also visited several of the very large Planned Parenthood affiliates in California, Oregon and Washington. With annual budgets of as much as $50 million, these affiliates have the capacity to advance the mission of Planned Parenthood in ways our $2 million affiliate can only dream of. Planned Parenthood Federation of America recently determined that, in order to fully serve our mission in the current health care environment, Planned Parenthood affiliates should ideally have an annual operating budget of at least $5$7 million. In the coming year, I will work with our Board of Directors to determine the best ways to enhance Planned Parenthood's mission given our current size and scope.

During my sabbatical, two vacancies opened on the United States Supreme Court. For the first time in 13 years, we are confronted with the tenuous future of the Roe v. Wade decision. Before I left for California, staff and volunteers would periodically consider the potential ramifications "if" this landmark privacy decision were overturned or gutted. Upon returning to Virginia, we speak with greater urgency about ""when" Roe v. Wade becomes just an historical footnote. With the predominantly anti-choice legislature in Virginia, the consequences would likely be devastating for our state. Becoming politically active, joining our email advocacy network (www.ppfa.org/action), and attending Pro-Choice Lobby Day in Richmond on Thursday, February 2nd have never been more important. Your financial support of Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge is equally important." (David Nova, Blue Ridge Briefings, Winter 2005)