Date: 2014-12-04
To: My 23rd birthday/ post trail day 17/ the final fat
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Post Trail Day 17/18*So this is it, Im done with the journal after today. If you have a question about Appalachian trail hiking, i would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. My email is Chris.lewhite@gmail.comThis is a long entry, but these are the final things I wanted to touch on. Initially i thought I would write more post trail journals, but i did not end up doing that. i believe in large part because, im no longer on the trail. The journal for me was the one time all day I could sit and collect my thoughts. That was the point where I could bitch about the shitty things, and celebrate the good things. Many people who had a journal on the trail found it taxing, i never felt that way, it was a part of my nightly routine just as eating was, or not showering, or itching my head and being like "damn that is a lot of dirty". Anyways back in society i dont have a defined schedule. For me presently, there is no rigid time to start work, no single big goal usually, just things i have been occupying my time with. Thats why updating the journal has fallen to the wayside. anyways, for one last time here we go.+-Plus minus is my system i invented to check the speed you hiked relative to the other thru hikers. It is not a negative or positive thing if you have a low or high number, it is just a number which reflects your hiking speed comparatively to other hikers. Hikers that started after you are your minuses, and ones who start infront of you are pluses, Then you count. The system only counts for hikers you meet, and if a hiker passes you then drops off they remain a permanent plus just as if you passed a hiker and they dropped after that. *so far my biggest plus was in damascus after pushing for six straight weeks when i got to plus 33Plus:Ranger stack and ThorHuman torch, knee deep, girl, tookYak, and the 2 boys she was withRebootHoboForager MoxieMoonshineUnplugged and knives1. Mike2. redbeard3. jim4. Corrine5. splash6. K27. wolfburger8. boone9. brew10. Papapuchi11. rickitickitacki12. lonestrider13. gavin14. p realMinusPaulRockMericaSharkbaitArbor, ScuttlebuttSo my final plus minus: +24. I think thats right, if not Sue me.Hiking playlist:During the trail i made it no scret that I hiked and listend to music the whole time. I loved it, it was amazing. Sure some people want to be disconnected from technology, but I believe technology is a good thing. Like i said in the entry where I broke my phone, I am a child of technology and i shall bring it wherever I shall go, if that be off a bridge into a river, so be it (ill be more careful next time) SO WITH THAT SAID, here is my hiking playlist. These are songs that I dug, quite much, I am not saying they are great, but at one point when i was out there trudging along with two poles in my hand and 30 pounds on my back these songs were pumping in my ears and out my legs. I talked to one hiker who said he brought a radio because it allowed him to connect the songs he heard with specific memories of the trail. My ipod is my radio, it has more songs than i could listen to and if i am going to connect a song with a memory, it will be a song I like, and more importantly A song that I could listen to again if I wanted to. For example in the last 4 weeks once i heard the song "motor city is burning" by the MC5 i listend to it 35 times, thats a 7 and a half min long song which means during the course of four weeks i listened to that same song for 4 hours and 20 mins.         I want to stress that this is not a playlist of songs I liked, This is a playlist of songs that I had either 1. never heard, or 2. never appreciated until I hiked the trail and had earbuds in my ears all day long. These songs meant nothing to me before I hiked the trail and the reason I post them is because these songs give me a connection and images of what it was like to hike in my mind when i look back now.Go to youtube, give at least one of them a listen, and if you feel so inclined DL them. Included with the song is a description of where I was when this song hit me as a great song.1. Fuck me Pumps or Stronger than Me by Amy Winehouse (New York, when I had my moms Ipod and I went crazy)2. Rite of Spring by Angels and Airwaves (Nighthiking Mount Graylock with Forager when I was full of mexican and felt like vomiting)3. Daydreamin by Ariana Grande (hundred mile wilderness)4. Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (the day into damasacus)5. Have you ever by Brandi Carlile (before Rangley Maine, Look at the lyrics, its an absurd song to listen to when out in the woods by yourself)6. Anthems for a seventeen year old Girl by Broken Social Scene (Old blue before Andover Maine)7. In One Ear or Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant (The day into Damascus and climbing down Mt. Rodgers, I was literally screaming this in the rain)8. With Arms Wide Open by Creed (After Monson all the way until the new yorkers left)9. ziggy Stardust by David Bowie (Roan high Knob day)10. That Old Black Hole by Dr. Dog (PA after i left the Fajita Boyz)11. The Writer by Elle Golding (New Jersey right after labor day)12. Brain Damage By Eminem (Early Va, it was cold)13. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People (early Va)14. Shark Attack by Grouplove (That Dam thats like 30 miles into tennesee)15. Three Women by Jackwhite (hiking with Hobo at the end of VA)16. Who Gon Stop me or Gotta Have it by Jay-z and Kanye West (cumberland valley PA)17.We Dont care or Robo Cop by Kanye West (The Smokies)18. Keishas Song by Kendrick Lamar (NC)19. Cruel Sexuality or Sexotheque or Let me Down Gently by La Roux (Middle VA)20. Tigerlily or Quicksand by La Roux (Southern Maine)21. Pretty When you Cry or the other woman or fucked my way to the top or Brooklyn Baby by Lana Del Rey (Northern maine or WV)22. Coin Laundry or Red wine lips or Love Letter by Lisa Mitchell (when I went music crazy in New York)23.Love me like im not made of stone by Lykke LI (Day 9 of VA)24. Silver Tiles by Matt and Kim (day 20 of VA, IN THE RAIN)25. Motor city is burning by MC5 (erwin TN to Hot springs)26. Black Sheep by Metrick (southern maine, my first pump up hiking song)27. Best of Freinds by Palma Violets (hiking down MT. Rodgers)28. Blank Generation or All the Way by Richard Hell and the Voidoids (Hiking outt of Erwin)29. Love Sick by Sleigh Bells (Manchester Center VT)30. We Dont want your body by Stars (before daleville VA)31. You're so last summer by taking back sunday (GA)32. Shake it off or Red or Better than revenge by Taylor Swift (all over)33. On the radio, silver bullet, Blue by Reginia Spektor (VA and when i went crazy)34. Sucka Nigga by A tribe called quest (Mahoosic notch)35. Island in the Sun by Weezer (grayson highlands)36. Long tall sally by the 5,6,7,8's (right before shannandoahs)37. Clique or The One by GOOD music ( smokies)38. Under my thumb by the rolling stones (middle of VA)39. White walls by macklemore and ryan lewis (the preist)There you go theres like 60 songs that made a big impact on my trail, if yyoure thinking "thats a lot of songs" that would be because THATS A LOT OF MILES. DOWNLOAD SOME OF THEM, DOWNLOAD ALL OF THEM AND PUT IT IN YOUR IPOD AS CHICKENFAT PLAYLIST. or not but these songs i very much enjoyed. Once again, this is not a list of my "favorite songs" this is a list of songs that i didnt know or apperciate before the trail but after the trail they all have a special meaning or attachment to me.But if you want to skip that, heres my top 10 albums that Yous should dl, its easier than looking for 60 random songs1. Fedility by Regina Spektor (I listened to this for 3 days straight, its here for a reason)2. Far by Regina Spektor (better album, all the rest of reginia is crap, but the dolphin part in silver bullet is a song for the ages)3.Midnight Marauders by A tribe Called Quest (AHH good AHH, We maraud for ears)4. La Roux by La Roux (i hated this album before the trail, but this is my number 1 hiking album)5. Frank By Amy Winehouse (AHHHHH)6. Watch the Throne by Jay-z and Kanye west (so many good songs)7. The heist by macklemore and ryan lewis (AHH too good8.The Green Album by Weezer (ive heard this millions of time, but on the trail i loved it)9.Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey (I mean it came out 7 days before i started and i listened to it too much)10. Lightning by Matt and Kim ( too much energy)Thanks: I would like to thank everyone who read this journal. I didnt think I would get as many views as I did when I started but this journal was something I was glad I did. And the people who read it helped motivate me along when I was tired or feeling crappy. Also thanks to all the people I met espically The kid, redbeard, arbor, sardine, wolfburger, K2, Hobo, Live and learn, Hard to Kill, Tootz, moxie, and unplugged.The End of Chickenfat: These past two and a half weeks since I finished I have been lounging around the house as chickenfat. Literally, everyting I have done since i got off was something I planned on doing back when I was on the trail. Watching avatar and twin peaks, filling out substitute teacher applications and lounging. Its over, i finished those things and now need to move to the next challenge, new challenges that I make. I will always be an Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker, and thats somethingg I am proud of, the difference now is I am like an Alumni instead of a student in the most tiring college in existance. My birthday ended an hour and a half ago and now im just anotther 23 year old looking for a job in the eyes of the world. This Journey was nothing that i expected but only now in absolute last minute retrospect can I see what it gave me. Most importantly I believe it showed me how strong I can be and how I can get through anything. There was one moment on the first day alone where I just yelled becuase I was alone, without people anywhere near me for the first time in forever. It was surreal, that mmoment I felt more free than in any moment in my life, yea 2 hours later i was ridiculously homesick but it was the first time in my life taht I can remember where I only had myself to lean on. Its difficult to be on your own in the world, you would need to shun freinds, family and even strangers who want to help. On the trail, you choose your interaction level and in that particular moment i had no clue if anyone was infront of behind me. I was all alone and I pushed on leaned on myself and then 4 and a half months later came out of the trail a stronger person than i went into it (which i didnt think was possible) The fattness is over for the moment, im looking at other hikes, I really want to do other hikes even next year (hense picture), but for now I am here just figuring out what the hell im supposed to do in live, one step at a time.