Date: 2013-02-23
To: Unemployed and an old premonition to be fulfilled
Miles today: 0.0

UnemployedYesterday was my last day at my job of over 6.5 years. I've held this job since the day after I finished high school. For what it was and the time it was a major part of my waking life, it wasn't a bad thing. Except for some periods while I was an intern when work was sluggish, I could usually find something to do. Much of my work was field work - even while contained in a truck, it was nice to be outside and moving around. Over the course of all the field work I have done, I have found myself on almost every county, state, US, interstate, and toll route in New Jersey, and I have also probably been on a majority of the local roads. I can say I have been everywhere in New Jersey, and be closer to meaning that than most.I also learned early on that I was not an office person, or at least I wasn't a person to be in the station I found myself. Maybe the work I was doing at a computer was just not what would inspire me. The biggest part of me selling myself in my interview way back in June 2006 was my skills with AutoCAD (computer-aided design). I never really used those skills on the job. Data processing, maintenance, and quality checking are not things that lend themselves much to creativity.Here I present the email I sent before leaving the office for my last work day, outside and driving all over central New Jersey. This email was sent out to an office of over a hundred people, most of whom I have never interacted with even once. Working outside or on projects which involve no need to coordinate with more than one or two people made me almost invisible in the office. I wonder how many people there knew I had been around for so long.Subject: Last day - adventure awaitsBody: After over 6.5 years here, my last day has come. I leave for no new business opportunity, but for adventure. This time next week I am stepping off a train in Atlanta, and two days later I begin walking the Appalachian Trail ¢ 2,200 miles north to Maine. My mind has entertained the idea of such an adventure for many years. While a stable job is certainly a blessing in its own way, a part of me can only be satisfied by stepping out of what I know and into something completely new. I have been extensively preparing for this over the past few months, and while everything is ready to go, my past experiences with short hiking and backpacking trips can do little to prepare me for seven months on the Trail! I look forward to all the experiences ¢ both challenges and rewards ¢ that await there.I am running a trail journal ¢ essentially a blog ¢ on my activities. There is already plenty of writing there on my preparations, though I imagine this is far more mundane reading than what will come when I am on the Trail. You can check this out at http://www.trailjournals.com/shepherd and I can be contacted at gmf.foto@gmail.com if you feel like doing so. I hope to update the trail journal daily, and I doubt a boring day can happen when one is walking all day. This is an exciting time for me, and I hope others can share in this excitement.There¢s the odd chance we will meet again, but if not I wish good health, great spirits, and personal growth to you all.Peace,Shepherd aka Garrett Fondoules(Notice that my Trail name is written first - that was put before my civilian name intentionally.)Old premonitionI was looking through old hiking photos earlier today. I remembered photographing every page of the register at a shelter I stayed at in the New Jersey once, and wanted to see if I had used my trail name so far back. It turns out I had, and I also enjoyed reading what I had written 1.5 years ago.Last day for a while it seems. 4 days is not enough. I will get back and do all of the AT as that becomes possible. Workin' for the man is no adventure, and this just might be enough adventure. We'll see.I still don't know if walking the AT will be enough adventure, but I hope I was write about doing all of it.Peace,