Date: 2010-11-06
To: The Adventurous Life
Miles today: 0.0

Good morning, afternoon, or evening, depending on when you're reading this. Today, boys and girls, I want to discuss a little bit of what the trail didn't do for me. Yeah, thats right, it didn't solve every problem or question I might have had. One Life, please, I'm a prospective thru hiker and I need to know what the trail didn't do for you. OK, calm down its not that big of a deal. The trail, my good friends, did not cure the adventure vibe I had and still have. Like, totally, what are you like talking about (cheerleader voice)? Well, you see, when I first started planning for this trip, September of 2009, I was full of that adventure vibe or feeling. You know that feeling as we have all been 6 years old in December. At that age, you count the minutes until Christmas morning (Ok, theres 21,659 more minutes until I can open my presents and my parents better have gotten me that Justin Bieber doll I asked for) wait.... what?? Anyways, I was ready to walk every day and see new things. I was ready to sleep on porches in Kent, CT, walk til 1am with Stucco, watch 4th of July fireworks on the top of a mountain ridge in PA, grow a sexy beard, meet tons of people, walk in Crocs, and tackle the mountains of southern Maine. I was ready and I could not wait. The anticipation I was feeling, exactly one year ago today, was out of this world. I could not wait to just have something new happen to me everyday. I assumed the trail was supposed to cure my adventurous appetite. I was supposed to come back from Mt Katahdin and be done with adventures for a long time. You'll never guess what happened.....I wasn't cured of the Adventure Virus. In fact, it did the opposite. It ignited a fire in me . I spend everyday going over, in my mind, how and when I can go on the next adventure. You ever play this game....you say to yourself "If I had $10 million I would (fill in the blank). Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to do that but if I had that amount I would be an adventurous man. Hiking the great Appalachian Trail only cracked the window to my adventures. But theres a problem, nothing in this life is free so I need to work....You think hiking the AT is adventurous???? You should work in a cubicle punching data from a spreadsheet....boy, talk about living on the edge. Lemme give you a rundown on my day:7am- wake up7:45am- listen to music on my way to work that makes me think of the trail and I want to cry my eyes out8:01am- arrive at work one minute late and act like I've been there for a while8:01-12pm- work and daydream about the trail and what I want to do next12-5pm- stare blindly at a computer screen punching numbers5-6pm- drive home and let the pup (Charlie) out6-7pm- go to the gym just to wince in my pain with my left knee7-7:30pm- take my everyday shower (showering sucks but society and my job's code of ethics says I have to)730-8pm- Devotional Bible time8-11pm- TV11-7am- have dreams about the trail If that schedule doesn't scream adventure then I don't know what does. But seriously, I do get sad almost everyday thinking about how much fun I had on the trail and now I am living this life. It was extremely hard for me to accept this at first but with each passing day I accept my fate a little more. Don't get me wrong though, I am very thankful to have a job and very thankful that I will be able to volunteer with this schedule but my heart is adventurous. I was born to explore...some people are just like me while others were born to stay in one place, one town, etc for their whole lives. Neither one is wrong or right its just who you are. I just don't know how I'm going to do it. God has a plan for me and its my job to put my trust in him that everything will work out.Don't forget, we are not guaranteed the next day....so what are you waiting for?? Until next time, have a great day.