Date: 2014-02-27
To: Change Up
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow, this hike just keeps morphing with one change after another. Over the past month I have been considering a few of the numerous paths that life provides. I will give the 'Cliff Notes' version as not to lull too many readers to sleep.I have been planning on leaving my job and finishing the less than 1000 miles that I have left to hike on the approximately 2200 mile Appalachian Trail. This is obviously a large step (no pun initially intended) and out of the comfort box of most people. It will not help advance my career, nurture relationships with my girlfriend, family & friends or assist in funding my retirement. I was going to start where I left off and keep hiking north. After talking with my best friend 'Big Rig' in TX, I changed course and agreed that the time frame I was considering would be perfect to head Southbound from Maine to PA (w/ the added bonus would be that it would be all downhill too...JK). Once again, I have altered my plans for this 2014 hike. Since I will be already unemployed and moving so many things around to utilize my time in this manner, I decided to extend my time on the trail. I will be going for the whole enchilada again. I will need to be very frugal, but I am planning on heading Northbound around April 11th and attempt for the second time the 2200 mile thru hike. Funny, I never understood why people would not finish and feel the need to start over from the beginning. I always scratched my head as logically it made more sense to me to complete one trip/goal at a time. Yet here I am eating my previous thoughts and words. Why?...and what makes this time any different? "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstein.Here I am doing it again, oh well...I guess as long as I don't expect different results I should be relatively safe from having to schedule psychiatry sessions. As I have been planning this hike, I get more anxious to just be out there. I look around at the daily 'insanity' and seek refuge. How much of our lives is spent in self afflicted stress and unease. Spinning our wheels at work and being upset about small things (yes they are all small things). This is one of my reasons 'why', I yearn for the trail again and the lifestyle and flow of life that it brings. My focus has shifted from strictly goal oriented hiking to more enjoyment/experience hiking. Yes, I have a start and a tentative end to the hike. But it will bring what it brings. I enjoyed the first half of the trail and want to let in the new experiences it will bring a second time around.I have committed myself to this path and put my notice in at work yesterday. I gave a little over 5 weeks of notice and will be working until April 5th. Start date will be set at April 11th and coincides with the start date of my 2012 hike. Still more items to work out such as medical insurance (or possible lack there of), another podiatrist visit (plantar fasciitis), living/apartment arrangements with my roommate and logistical planning. Money will be extremely tight to make this work and I will 'run with what I brung' as far as the gear goes. No more purchases will be made.Really excited to get back out there... life is amazing! See you on the trail