Major anxiety?

[Tammy Petry]

Any first time thru hikers feeling a bout of major anxiety? Just wondering...

[Fireweed]

I was told that anyone who isn't a bit crazy as the start date approaches is crazy. So, despite lots of experience, I still feel like a newbie till I get a few miles behind me.

[TOMP]

yeah anxiety is normal/healthy and probably unavoidable. But just remember hiking is just walking, eating, and sleeping. It is infinitely less stessful than the real world.

[stranger]

I get anxiety attacks and have found that very hard rain is a major trigger - great for a long distance hiker eh? Dusk is another trigger, it's strange but a hard rain and dusk can really set me off haha. It's kinda funny but not when it's happening!

I have about 3000 miles of experience and still get anxiety, not just on the trail. Learn a bit about it and how to deal with it. The thing to remember is that anxiety WILL pass, always. Find the triggers, wait it out.

Not much bad can happen on the trail, I personally find being around others helps minimise anxiety. Talk about it, acknowledge it...do not ignore it!

Finally, remember it's not real, and it's irrational - this helps me.

[Old Hiker]

Yep. 8 days to start and I'm starting to second-guess. My pack has exploded (again) all over the extra bedroom bed as I worry about what I've forgotten, have too much of, not enough of, etc. What's REALLY going to be bad is the train ride to Gainesville!

[WingedMonkey]

What's REALLY going to be bad is the train ride to Gainesville!

Not to kidnap the thread, but...are you really taking the train from Florida to Gainesville? I love to Amtrak to the trail, but that's one loop long ride I have put off for a long time.

[Old Hiker]

Not to kidnap the thread, but...are you really taking the train from Florida to Gainesville? I love to Amtrak to the trail, but that's one loop long ride I have put off for a long time.

Yup. Pack is a bit large to trust any airline with, plus TSA is getting a bit much. I can keep the pack with me at all times, plus my 5'8" staff is a big hard to stuff into the overhead bin. Took everything down to AMTRAK and they told me "No problem"!

I'm going to DC in a roomette, wait 8 hours, then come on back to Gainesville, GA. Was going to be a 7 hour daytime layover in Charlotte that changed into a 13 hour layover starting at 0300. Charlotte police politely advised me to take a hotel during that time and NOT stay in the station. Now: up to DC - 8 hour daytime layover - down to Gainesville. I may actually put the pack into baggage storage and look around where I spent 5 years.

[WingedMonkey]

It's all good. Can't deal with planes and backpacks either. Every time I go through DC can't resist staying a few days at the hostel and exploring. Just never planned it out enough to train back to Gainesville

[RORY CALHOUN]

perspective. it also allows one to triangulate distance and gauge where one is. in any case, for me, as i plan this epic life-long dream for march one march-my wife tweets that a brother of the fellow sitting with her mom at life-care center dining room walked the AT at 81! and so we should as well.
also, this reminder clipped yesterday and placed in my money clip:
John Fairfax, the first known person to row across the Atlantic Ocean passed at age 74 of apparent heart attack. he gained international fame in 1969 when he accomplished this feat. he dealt with sharks, storms, and exhaustion in this 6 month journey from the Canary Islands to Florida.
Six months, about the same time you might be hiking the AT. Perspective. Much luck. Be well.

[Maren]

The best part of the Fairfax obit is when "he applied to a pirate's apprentice". Also impressed by the whole settling a dispute with a pistol at age 9 and running away to the Amazon at 13.

[louisb]

Sounds like a good trail name to me.

--louis

[HumanBN]

Couldn't eat breakfast the day my friends and I started. Don't do that! Make sure you eat a good meal before you start the trail, even if your stomach doesn't want it. Man, wish I was starting again with you folks. Stop worrying and just accept that the only thing you can do is learn along the way.

[Mr. Right]

Don't get too nervous, Class of 2012. You'll feel like old pros by the time you reach Hiawassee.

[Datto]

One thing you can do to help deal with the anxiety (most thru-hikers have the anxiety so you're not alone) is to spend time taking stuff in and out of your backpack so many times that you always know where to find anything inside your backpack. Believe it or not, hikers can get quite a bit of anxiety just over where stuff is located. After a while on the Trail you'll likely know where it is but in the beginning it may be total confusion as you do explosion after explosion of your backpack contents just to find something.

If you already know where stuff is, you won't face that type of anxiety.

Datto

[Derek81pci]

I'm nervous and I don't leave until June. Filling my time with books on the AT, studying maps to the point of near memorization..., staring at a pack and bags of gear, worrying about food, just to name a few. When it gets a little closer, I'm sure I'll be doing the pack and repack thing many, many times. Best of luck to all of you leaving in the near future!