Hey y'all,
So many decisions ... Since I'm not in the best physical shape, and my last long distance hike is quite a while back (1992-ish), there is a need for a certain degree of preparation.
My last days consisted in a lot of reading and researching. I like to get a certain "base of knowledge" before tackling a project. Grabbing a few books or guides, looking up stuff in the internet ... I don't go deep, but I map the lay of the land. After getting a general sense for the project, you start plotting.
That's what I'm doing right now. I've been reading a lot these past days: Bryson's "A Walk In The Woods", David Miller's "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail", hiker journals and other testimonies. There is this great German docu: Durch die Wildnis Amerikas and a bunch of private blogs and video diaries. Like Rob Figulski's docu for instance.
And just like that, you are ready to take first steps.
You need at least 5 to 6 months to hike the whole trail. So you really need to be sure before you ask your employer for a sabbatical. Remember the stare? I am working as a radio journalist and presenter for Luxembourg's biggest news outlet. I won't say that I am irreplacable (although it is a nice thought) but my spot in the rotation has to be filled. That's why my company does not do sabbaticals. And I get it. The market for presenters is tight right now and you would have to train a replacement, just to let him go by the time he's ready to go on air.
That taken into account, you REALLY have to be sure. Because the only other way to do this, is to quit. And given the circumstances, that might turn out to be the "most stupidest" idea I had in a long time.
I guess, you do get wiser with age. Because I went for a compromise: I won't be going the whole distance right away. I will start by section hiking the AT. Start at the beginning, on Springer Mountain, in March. And see how far my feet will take me within a few weeks time. I might stumble and crumble after a few miles, throw my hiking boots over the branches at Neels Gap, drive back to Atlanta, visit the Coca Cola Museum and never look back. But I also might enjoy the whole thing, get a glimpse of what I was looking for and decide to come back.
This might be, in my current state of mind and life, the wisest approach possible.
That taken into account, you REALLY have to be sure. Because the only other way to do this, is to quit. And given the circumstances, that might turn out to be the "most stupidest" idea I had in a long time.
I guess, you do get wiser with age. Because I went for a compromise: I won't be going the whole distance right away. I will start by section hiking the AT. Start at the beginning, on Springer Mountain, in March. And see how far my feet will take me within a few weeks time. I might stumble and crumble after a few miles, throw my hiking boots over the branches at Neels Gap, drive back to Atlanta, visit the Coca Cola Museum and never look back. But I also might enjoy the whole thing, get a glimpse of what I was looking for and decide to come back.
This might be, in my current state of mind and life, the wisest approach possible.
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