Date: 2009-01-20
To: Alot has changed....
Miles today: 0.0

but not my burning desire to hike the AT...Hey everyone, I have a lot to do in the next month or so to get ready for my thru-hike. The long term plan is: to hike the trail in entirety in one single hike and it will take from March until about August. When I finish the trail I'm staying up north in Massachusetts and/or New Hampshire. I'll be joining the Coast Guard Reserves or Air Force Reserves, hopefully, and then going to school at the University of New Hampshire to study Environmental Studies. I'm going to leave Florida towards the end of February, and will drive my '95 Chevy Suburban and 15' enclosed trailer in tow. My cousin offered to let me leave my truck and trailer at his house in New Hampshire for the duration of my hike. Thank you Donnie I have tons of work to get done before I can leave. I have two houses I'm in the middle of remodeling and I can't leave until it's all done.I've been going through all my junk over the last two weeks since I've been back from my Christmas vacation up to Massachusetts. I've been throwing stuff out (always tough!) and I have some various "piles" of things with different destinations. Some stuff, I'm going to sell at a yard sale in a couple weeks, and what is left over is going to the Salvation Army or is just going to be thrown out. I don't want to drag tons of CRAP up north with me. Simplifying is the key to the unlocking happiness, as some might say and traveling light is the key to happiness, as we hikers will all admit! I'm taking my tools, sentimentals, some clothes and (maybe) my bed. All the rest of my furniture I'm either selling to my roommate or I'm giving away. Besides packing to move, I need to transfer utility bills over into my roommates name, cancel some bills, etc etc. Then there's always getting ready for the hike. I woke up this morning at 4am and went for a run at daybreak. Something I haven't done in quite a while, and it felt really good! I need to try to workout as much as possible over the next few weeks so I won't be dying out there on the trail...lol So, there's that, and getting my hiking stuff ready. I have a "pile" of hiking stuff ready to go, but that's about it. I doubt I'm going to have any time to get out to do some hiking before I leave Florida. I plan on getting a shakedown hike in, after I drive up to MA/NH and before I head down to Georgia. That's when I'll figure out what's coming with me on the AT, what's staying, and what else I still need.I don't want to write a book here, so I'll close with this tidbit of something I just need to get out... I haven't been doing very well lately. I just want to be honest here. I've been struggling with money and relationships. Florida doesn't feel like home. I'm homesick. It has been a constant battle fighting my addictions and bad habits. (Drinking and videogames to name a few) All robbers of good quality time that could be spent doing much more creative, productive, and adventurous things! I had walked away from my bad habits almost completely for three years (35 months) and was stupid to think I could control them. They sucked me back in... and I'm ready to be sucked back out... into reality, and moving towards my goals in life! The bad habits block out the things that are really important to me. I think the trail is going to help me put the big KABASH! on all these things once and for all and give me the new perspective I need to be happy, healthy and successful in life. Ahhhh... thanks, I needed to get that out.If it weren't for the people close to me helping me out and supporting my dream to hike the trail it wouldn't soon be a dream come true. I thank you all, you know who you are. I sure you will learn more about me in journal entries to come, as I learn more about myself. I should have plenty of times to think about things. I want to keep a good journal, not too long, but fairly detailed to cover at least the highlights, hardships, trials and errors of my experience on the trail. I'm going to try to make sure pictures are updated with the text, too. I will definitely be looking forward to all your comments and support! Keep reading...