View Full Version : Calls back home
Texasgirl
07-27-2008, 19:47
If during your AT hike, you've made a phone call back home to family (kids, wife, husband, etc.):
1. what's the best thing/topics they can say;
2. what's the worse thing/topics they can say,
as it affected you as you continued on the trail?
Pedaling Fool
07-27-2008, 21:04
Your avatar and question indicates you're supporting, or planning to support a family member/spouse on an AT hike. I wouldn't worry too much about relaying discouragaing remarks, but don't whine also during phone calls. If your loved one truly wants to do a hike not much in the way of a phone call is going to discourage them, less it's whinning about problems at home.
Are these questions based on preparations for a hike or a particular experience during a hike?
Texasgirl
07-27-2008, 21:10
Preparing for the hiker's hike. Stuff still goes on as usual at the home front. Don't intend to whine, but wondering if there's topics to avoid; or even more important, what's the best thing for a hiker to hear from their loved ones back home?
Pedaling Fool
07-27-2008, 21:17
I'm not much of a "phone talker", so I probably can't answer that question with great accuracy. But for me I just hate to hear whinning about this or that, or just a general negativity in someone's voice is kind of a turn-off. However, that wouldn't affect my hike too much, it'd just make me get off the phone quicker.
Preparing for the hiker's hike. Stuff still goes on as usual at the home front. Don't intend to whine, but wondering if there's topics to avoid; or even more important, what's the best thing for a hiker to hear from their loved ones back home?
Anything to cheer you up/positive. As simple as ...the garden is doing great ,to personal stuff like how the kids/family are doing. A simple I love you, etc. Whining ...I would not call it that...life is life,stuff happens. Its not a perfect world,but honesty from the home front is just that,honesty. No need for sugar coating when you can read through it anyways.
Enjoy yourself.
Forgot some other simple things...talking about the pets(I often talk to my dogs on the phone). Sounds crazy,but they do listen. The spaniels do not answer ,but the German Shepherd thinks she can speak English! I Know I Know,I am strange,but its true. Sports scores if you are into that. You get the picture.
Blissful
07-27-2008, 22:14
1. Best thing said to me was in Maine when I wanted to quit - from my hubby when he said keep going, you only have two weeks left. You can do this. You'll hate yourself if you stop now.
2. Worst thing was hearing how much my hubby missed me, how our van and his computer blew up and other stuff bad on the homefront. He was very frustrated and angry. That was tough as we were ready to hit the Whites of NH at Franconia Notch in really bad weather. But we kept going.
I agree with Blissful. I was once on a solo section hike and called my husband when I found myself alone at a shelter. We talked about how much we missed each other, he offered to come get me, and I accepted. I've regretted it ever since. So, I think the most important thing is to stay upbeat and encouraging and never, ever suggest they quit. Everyone will have moments where they consider how nice it would be to be back with their spouse, in a comfortable bed, with their comfortable routine. But they also left all that for a reason, and they won't be satisfied unless they find what they were looking for. So, do everything you can to keep them out there. I think it helps not to discuss missing each other -- that only tends to snowball (for me at least).
I always wanted to hear of the events in their lives. My life was get up, hike, and sleep. Not very interesting to them. But I loved to hear about the things that they were doing while I was gone.
Bearpaw88
07-28-2008, 16:05
- I did love hearing words of encouragement. Also, I liked hearing about bad weather back at home. Then the AT weather, if it was, didn't seem so bad. I even encouraged people to exaggerate "Today the roof blew off the house and the hail was so bad you couldn't walk out the door... You are lucky your not here!" Humor is great:D
- I did not like hearing anything that might make me want to go home. Which fortunately for me was not much.
Texasgirl
07-28-2008, 18:33
Thanks for the insight folks. It helps.
While I was on the PCT, I called home to check on my family. My wife told me that she set up an appointment at the health department to start my daughter on birth control. She was 15 and going on her first real date the following Friday with I boy I had never met. That was a tough week for me.
Also, don't send pictures of problems over the cell phone. I stopped to take a break. While stopped, I tried to call home. I didn't have cell service. I put my phone back in my pack and forgot to turn it off. Shortly after I started walking, my phone beeped that I had service and a message. It was too soon to stop so I kept walking. A couple of hours later, I tried to call again. No service, but my phone had received a text message when I was in service. My text message was a picture of my wife's car with the front end smashed in. I was a nervous wreck. It was just the picture, no caption, no explanation, and no cell service. That all happened mid morning. I didn't get to cell service again until 9 pm. She had hit a deer and was OK, but all of the worst case scenarios went through my mind. So be careful what you send and how you send it.