Date: 2006-02-23
To: And for goodness sake, WHY ? WHY? WHY?
Miles today: 0.0

The big question is WHY? There are so many WHYs! WHY thru-hike the AT? WHY now? WHY an online journal? I imagine that we will revisit these WHY questions many, many times throughout our hike....WHY a thru-hike?Lefty:Reason #1: I have been dreaming of thru-hiking the AT since 1996 when family friend, Victor Kubilius, aka ¢Pappy¢, completed his AT thru-hike at age 65. Since then Pappy has gone on to hold the distinction of being the ¢Oldest Triple Crown Hiker¢, having completed the AT, CDT and PCT. It didn¢t take long for Righty and I to get hooked and adopt thru-hiking the AT as a dream of our own. Pappy had an uncanny ability to make even the most miserable days of being cold, wet, hungry, tired and achy sound exciting, which leads me to Reason #2: I love a good adventure! The best adventures to me involve getting out of my comfort zone, seeing and doing new things and taking some risks. Preparing for and setting out to complete a 2,100-mile hike feels big, challenging, exciting, hopeful, and fun!Righty:Reason #1 is the same as Leftys. I was around "Pappy" when he was preparing for his first cross country hike (the AT). I was responsible for tracking his progress on the AT map and making sure he got his supplies at the mail drops. I acted as his support team and a liasion to family and friends. Being so involved, I guess I caught the "bug" because ever since then I KNEW that I WOULD hike the AT also. Reason #2 is also similar to Leftys in that I, too, love a good challenge. For me, at my age, this will certainly be a physical challenge as well as a mental one. It seems I have gotten sedentary, lazy and complacent. This hike should cure that. And, Reason #3 is that I am excited to be doing this with my daughter and showing everyone that if you can survive breast cancer, you CAN certainly survive the AT. Plus, I feel good about doing something that will bring attention to breast cancer and how important early detection is.Buoy:I don¢t share the same dream or interest in wanting to complete the ENTIRE trail. My reasons for hiking with Lefty and Righty for three months include, #1: wanting to support and share in Lefty living one of her dreams, #2: wanting to spend time in nature, #3: I think it¢s a great way to take a sabbatical, and lastly #4: I hope that after hiking three months I will have borne some new healthy habits and motivations for staying in shape.WHY now?Lefty:I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in May, 2003. A few days later, Buoy sat me down and said, ¢Your dream is to hike the Appalachian Trail, and we should live that dream as soon as you are done with your treatments.¢ That was one of the happiest days of my life. Thank you, baby! After postponing the Hike for two years because I couldn¢t bear quitting a job I loved, Buoy exclaimed, ¢The offer is about to expire! Let¢s do this.¢Buoy:There¢s no time like the present. And, I also have dreams that I want to pursue.... I¢m hoping to convince Lefty to move onto a boat with me!WHY keep an online journal?Lefty:I have always kept journals. I would never think of embarking on such a big adventure and not keep a journal. This will definitely be the first journal I have ever shared with others, or shared online for that matter.This online journal will serve a few purposes. First, it will provide us with a lasting written and visual record of a dream come true.Second, we are really excited by the possibility of keeping our friends and family updated on our progress and on our daily adventures. Since the trail passes through small towns every 5 days or so, we will find opportunities to upload our pictures and journals at least once a week.Third, through the telling of ¢our story¢ we hope to shine more attention on two things: Early detection of breast cancer saves lives! A diagnosis of breast cancer is not a death sentence. It is an opportunity to celebrate your life and live it to the fullest!More site logistics:To learn more about the non-profit breast cancer organizations we are raising money for, please go to our entries entitled: The Ask I, II and III..