Date: 2006-08-28
To: -
Miles today: 0.0

I know I said that it should all end on Katahdin, but I promised I'd journal a bit about some of the lessons I've learned on the trail. I'm going to keep it short, not because I didn't learn anything, but because I think it will probably take me years to assimilate my experiences and distil them into coherent life lessons. Disclaimer: much of what you are about to read is not original, and has been severely mangled from its original form. Some of these "lessons" are pretty shallow and may have no application outside of the AT context, but I think that others might prove useful to me a long time from now, on other "trails." That disclaimer notwithstanding, here's a list I started compiling the last month or so I spent on the trail. I'm calling my list:      MOSQUITOS SUCK, And Other Lessons I learned on the Appalachian Trail1. Never make the decision to quit while on the trail. At least take a day or two off to get some perspective.2. Never make the decision to quit while off the trail. With all the luxuries and conveniences of town, of course you're not going to want to go back!3. Never write off a whole day because you had a bad morning.4. Never judge an afternoon by the first five minutes after lunch.5. What goes up must come down.6. Humidity levels and comfort levels are reciprocally inverse (in summer, anyway).7. Laundromats can be fun and interesting places to hang out.8. Putting a ten dollar bill in the change machine at the laundromat gives you a hefty mound of quarters.9. You can eat a lot of Snickers bars and still not be sick of them.10. It's easier to hitch if you stay near the trail, smile, and keep your pack visible.11. The whine of a mosquito two inches from your ear is one of the most annoying sounds in the world.12. It's hard to fall asleep listening to the world's most annoying sounds.13. A loving family is just about the best thing in the world.14. To jump in a cool mountain lake or stream is a truly wonderful thing.15. There are a lot of really nice people out there.16. Buy good, comfortable shoes, even if you have to pay more for them.17. Success is .0000000001% inspiration, 99.999999999% perspiration.18. Nobody ever reached their goal by sitting around thinking about it. At some point you have to just pack up and move out.19. You don't always have to be the first or the fastest.20. It's okay to slow down once in a while.21. Berkshire County, MA is pretty much a mosquito-infested swamp.22. If you don't like your campsite, move it!23. When you really need a lift, don't be afraid to stick out your thumb.24. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.25. A journey of two thousand miles begins with the first thousand miles.26. Add a couple hundred more miles.27. The best gifts are unexpected.28. "Just down the street" can be a long way to walk.29. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.30. Yes, I can.Well, that's about it, folks. Thanks for taking the time to read my journal. I might be adding to or editing it from time to time, but then again, probably I'll be too lazy. Please though, sign my guestbook! I'll definitely come back and check it, because I love hearing your impressions of my hike. Hike Your Own Hike, God bless America, and yes, I support world peace.