Date: 2004-07-26
To: The State of the Taco Address
Miles today: 0.0

Finally going to take time to write something, so without further adieu here are my thoughts as they came to me, in no real order except the way I typed them:The overwhelming response from those that I have spoken with since I have been back has been, ¢wow you really went fast¢. Very good everyone. Also I have received a several emails saying that I went ¢too fast¢ and that my hike doesn¢t count? Er, uh, ok. For the last time, I have long legs, clean lungs, and a strong heart. For that I apologize. Plus I was alone most of the time, no one to ask, ¢how far do you want to go today¢, ¢where do you want to go today¢, or ¢lets head into this town¢. I also had no one to ask, ¢Did you see this today or what do you think about this?¢Loneliness was probably the greatest unexpected calamity I went through. The weather wasn¢t as bad as I thought, the mountains not as rough, and my body held up better than expected. I never thought I would be alone for the windows of time I was. Most of that was self induced, I could have stayed longer with various groups and really wish that I had. But the time alone taught me more about myself.The decision to push on ahead of the Solemates was probably one of the hardest on the trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 months I spent with them, and missing them was a big part of some of my mental slumps in the second half. If I could do it again, I would like to have stayed with them. Finishing a couple weeks early was nice, but I think if I would have hung with them I would not have had the strong desire to be home. Conversly, I most likely would have never met Smiley. Who was a great consultant and appeared at a time where I really needed to have someone to hike with. Plus he has inspired me to one day cross the Mississippi past St. Louis and see some real hills. All in good time. I am afraid if I head out there I won¢t go back.Speaking of going back, that¢s the 2nd most popular question I have been asked. ¢When are you doing it again?¢ ¢So what¢s next, the PCT?¢ All very good questions and I will delay until a little further on. Maybe call a press conference. By the way, Smiley, The Solemates, and Rowboat (Andy) all have informed me of plans for the PCT possibly in 2006. In current event news, I have been working on making a DVD, which has been fun and will be a lot of fun. I think. Other than that I still need to get thank-you notes sent out. They should be at the printer by the time this gets posted. I also have to add up the shoebox full of receipts I have accumulated over the hike.Other FAQ¢s:Do you miss it?Nope, not yet. First, it still hasn¢t sunk in that I did a thing yet. And B, too much time alone. Fourthly I am starting to get the itch to return to Georgia as that is where I am in my DVD authoring. I think from here on out it will get worse, so, no I do not miss it yet, but I think I will. Also a reminder that I enjoy my life at home and doing what I do more than most. Hiking was just a treat. A bonus. Hiking isn¢t all there is to life.How many shoes did you go through?5 different pairs. Only 3 were actually busted or wore out. How many days off did you take?Well, near as I can tell, 15. On the ¢Stats¢ page it shows 15. All I can come up with is 15. 7 from GA-Harpers Ferry. 5 to go home. Then one in Gorham and 2 in Monson. The stat that surprised me the most was the miles between zero days. I think the Stats page is 811 miles but my math says 867.6 miles. Harpers Ferry (1008.6) to Gorham (1876.2). Dunno. What was your favorite part?New England for sure, from there it is a crapshoot. New Hampshire (the Whites) or Western Maine. I have much more to come but no more time for today. Once again, things I would rather do. Still to come is a Thank you post, a list of Awards, and future hiking plans. Also I will return all the emails eventually, probably most likely when school starts and I have a faster, more consistent internet connection. And more time.Have a good one, all.