Date: 2006-10-19
To: Take The Plunge!
Miles today: 0.0

Today I made it official. I told my family that I was moving my Thru-Hike date from '08 to March '07. I have a wide mix of feelings going on in my head and heart, but I know that this is the right call. At the risk of exposing myself and my flaws, I will place the letter I wrote my family explaining to them why I need to do this hike here:Hey Family;Yeah. I think I'm gonna have to do this. I am falling out of love with life. I have this gorgeous place to stay and look out over the water to contemplate life and try to gain energy from the ocean. It's not working. I need a walkabout. I am dis-heartened with work, I'm tired of dealing with parents who ask us to raise their kids and then hold us responsible when they fail. I'm tired if my company's weak constitution when it comes to dealing with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, allowing them to place all kinds of unfunded mandates on the individual schools, then the company telling us, the schools, to "just make it happen." I haven't started dating, (since my divorce), and the scary thing is I haven't really wanted to. I can't stand to pick up a paper or watch the news anymore. I don't watch anything on TV except movies and the new Battlestar Galactica series. I have stopped playing golf because the game left me before and in Myrtle Beach (tounament), and I took it personally! Plus I was drinking to too much on the course anyway. This idea came to me when I had the kids (from work), up in NC in September, camping and all, you've seen the pictures. I started reading journals and books about folks who have done it and the light bulb went off. I need a change, I need family. I am missing my nieces grow up, I am missing being around my siblings and my Mom. I do plan on coming back to VA or NC after this hiatus. I have been alone for too long. This is a good thing. This idea has kept me pumped up and healthy. I come home and and instead of opening a beer or mixing a drink, I read books, journals or web forums to glean information or talk to others that are planning to hike too, and possibly people who I will run into on the Trail. I research gear and food, and tips and tricks. I read how to get into shape and whether to pack 3 shirts or 2...   The help I will need from you guys is this:   I need to have someone ready to drop mail me items. I will have items left at one of your places, boots, warm/cold weather clothes, empty journals, spare parts, certain foods etc. These items will be bagged separately with numbers on the bags. I will have an inventory list with me on the Trail and will at times need to call and have, say, items 2, 6 and 9 sent to me to a certain post office.    I will need help with Petey (my dog). He is very low maintenance and awful friendly. All he needs is a soft bed and food and walks. He goes to work every day and sleeps the day away on his "work bed."    When I make it into NC and VA I would love to have y'all come and section hike with me for any amount of days/weeks you feel comfy with. This is a huge pump up they say.   I will be keeping a journal and sending full journal books back home. Someone could transcribe these for me to a web site called trailjournals.com to help folks track my progress.   I will need to be as debt free as I can be for this to work, and have already purchased some gear items with more to go. I will need to sell my Texas stuff/or all worldly possesions, (which isn't a bad idea at this point), to get out of debt and pad my account. I still need to buy a light tent, and a good pack. I am going to go to ATL and get fitted for a pack soon. Please don't buy any gear for me as these items need to be specialty items for a thru-hike and as light as possible. I will need to pad my bank account to pay for things on the trail such as town stops and emergency gear replacements. Town stops are good for eating real food and getting showers! Sometimes you can find hostels for this, sometimes you have to spring for hotels. I will also re-supply in towns at groceries. So, I'm not asking for anyone to bankroll me, just keep in mind that $ will be just as appreciated as any items you might have been thinking to purchase for Christmas, if you were at all anyway.....Gees, that's awkward to get across without sounding presumptuous...      I will have more info for you as it becomes available. I will be home for Christmas! I am excited about getting back home and spending time with my family one and all. I have many thoughts on family trips and stuff to do together! You guys may be tired of looking at each other, but too bad! Family is the most important thing in life. At least I have figured that out! I love you guys and will be in touch!