Uh oh, I just realized I titled my post with a metaphor; how on Earth will people ever know what this thread is about! I guess they'll just have to keep reading.
Sorry bout that everyone; sometimes my sarcasm gets the better of me. Anyway, my name is Matt and I just wanted to introduce myself and add my name to the list of 2011 thru-hikers. I had thought of doing to the AT a couple of years ago or at least something similar, but the time never felt right and realistically I had put too much work into school to see it all go to waste. This January I started thinking about the trail again; this time with much more interest and conviction. The idea started as a seed in my mind, but in a short amount of time that seed has grown; and now I pretty much have beanstalks growin out of my ears lol!
Sticking with my original metaphor; I have begun to fill in the puzzle pieces to turn this idea into reality. I have taken the first major step and told my family of my plans. I got the same sort of response most of you probably got; essentially the same kind a response you get from a dog when you ask them a question and they just cock their head to the side in confusion. Though its still sinking in, I think overall they are supportive.
I still have a lot of things to work out, but I'm going to try not to be too rigid when it comes to planning. From everything I have read so far, most plans end up getting thrown out anyway. I do have a few things worked out such as an approximate start date (April 4th or 5th at Amicalola), some of the finances, and where to keep my few remaining possessions. Some of the things that still need to be worked out are: the rest of the financing, acquiring gear (I literally have none), and what I am going to do after the hike. That last one in particular is difficult, because a big reason why I am going in the first place is to try and figure out my next step to take in life.
Finally, even though you are all complete strangers, most of you probably want to know why I'm going. Not because you care about me personally, but because you enjoying learning about the various motivations which are behind people choosing to do something most people would think of as crazy. Essentially I am going because I feel both trapped and uncertain. Trapped, because I've been forced to accept menial jobs in spite of working very hard to earn my Bachelor's degree. And uncertain, because after seeing several promising career opportunities be pulled out from under me I now am at a point where I truly don't know what to do with the rest of my life. I KNOW that meeting people on the trail w/ similar experiences and interests will give me the much needed perspective I seek so that I can make the best decision when my thru-hike is over.