Help!

[joshua5878]

5 Year Dream coming to fruition, my brother and I leaving from Springer in March 2009. Currently working in a job I hate, 80 hours a week, blah, etc...

My biggest fear is what I will do when I get done hiking? I planned to take the 6 months and reflect on what I want to change in my life including occupations.

My brother is ready to go, he is so excited! He is 54 and I am 41. I have NEVER seen him so excited over something.

So whats wrong?? I got a call last night with an offer to relocate, in the same business, (the business that I hate) at a substantial raise. Very substantial!

If I take the job I could bank a lot of money and hike in 2010 and be much better off financially. My brother would be crushed!

I know this is kind of personal but just writing this makes me feel better about making the choice. I know if I wait till 2010, 2009 will be a long year.

Also my business if being effected by our economy so I thought by hiking this year, upon our return things might be a little better.

Feel free to give me your thoughts, any of you in the same boat???

Thanks for listening.

[Tinker]

Family first. If you have a saleable profession, I wouldn't worry about work after the hike. A lot of folks get jobs with hostels and businesses along the trail when they're done.
You're 54. I'm 55. I section hike but would love to do a thru. Even at YOUR age (heh-heh) it could be a life changing experience.
Not that I would wish it on you, but you could take that big fat raise, and on your way to work the next day get hit by a bus.
You only live once. I'm broke or I'd go with you. :D

[bigboots]

Well I am sort of in the same boat. I just paid off all of my debts from college, car, etc, and have a decent job that appears to be pretty steady. But I am leaving to hike. It is a huge risk with the economy. It may or may not be better in 9 months. Like you said it is a personal decision, I chose to hike!

[joshua5878]

Well I am sort of in the same boat. I just paid off all of my debts from college, car, etc, and have a decent job that appears to be pretty steady. But I am leaving to hike. It is a huge risk with the economy. It may or may not be better in 9 months. Like you said it is a personal decision, I chose to hike!

I have chased the "dollars" my whole life and can't really say what happiness it has brought me. I can't even sit back and feel any sense of accomplishment. Man, I am changin!!! But I think I like it!

[A-Train]

5 Year Dream coming to fruition, my brother and I leaving from Springer in March 2009. Currently working in a job I hate, 80 hours a week, blah, etc...

My biggest fear is what I will do when I get done hiking? I planned to take the 6 months and reflect on what I want to change in my life including occupations.

My brother is ready to go, he is so excited! He is 54 and I am 41. I have NEVER seen him so excited over something.

So whats wrong?? I got a call last night with an offer to relocate, in the same business, (the business that I hate) at a substantial raise. Very substantial!

If I take the job I could bank a lot of money and hike in 2010 and be much better off financially. My brother would be crushed!

I know this is kind of personal but just writing this makes me feel better about making the choice. I know if I wait till 2010, 2009 will be a long year.

Lastly, your brother is ready to go too. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. I would give anything to hike for a week with my bro let alone 5 months

Also my business if being effected by our economy so I thought by hiking this year, upon our return things might be a little better.

Feel free to give me your thoughts, any of you in the same boat???

Thanks for listening.

So, you take the substantial raise and plan for a 2010 hike but are misreble for another year? I could see how stockpiling money away could be a good thing, but is it worth sacrificing another yr of your life when you're not happy?

Why be so fearful of what you'll do AFTER the hike. Figure that out while you're walking. It's good to always have a plan, but take things as they come, you may be suprised how much this hike can change you.

It sounds like you wanna go and I say you should if your finances are in order.

But, I'm just 25, with a couple long hikes under my belt and not a whole lot of money to show. What do I know!

[Mags]

A previous post:

Last year a friend of mine thru-hiked the AT. As with you, she's a young woman who hiked solo. She also had many fears about what she was getting into. So I told her this African proverb I enjoy:

Come to the edge," he said.
They said, "We are afraid."
"Come to the edge," he said.
They came, and he pushed them
And they flew.

Yeah...starting a new life and doing something out of your normal comfort zone IS scary.

But sometimes you need to go to the edge..and sometimes, most of the time actually, you will fly.



Post trail? Worry about that when you finish. :) Just have enough cash to tide you over as you figure out the next phase.

I suspect the trail may change how you think about life in general.

A Train: Hell, I'm about a decade older..but otherwise not much different. ;)

[Tennessee Viking]

If the offered job is as bad as the one you have now, or if you certain you can find another opportunity no problem, go with the brother and hike the trail.

If you are really needing the money and employment backing, especially with the economy, take the job. Your brother will still be your brother, and the trail will still be there.

[Feral Bill]

Do you have family obligations (kids, elderly parents) that require you have a high paying job? If not, go.

[Lellers]

I graduated from college in 1984. It was the era of the Yuppie. I walked right out of school one day and the very next day I had a very upwardly mobile position. I stayed there 4 years and climbed and climbed. I worked hard. I didn't really like it, but I didn't hate it either. I was married, had a little house and a mortgage, two cars, vacations, dinners out in town all the time. It was nice. Then we started a family. When my first child was born I ditched the career and stayed home. My friends and family were appalled. "What a waste! You worked so hard on your education and your job!" I even bought into it for a while. Seriously. Change diapers, wipe noses and re-read Green Eggs and Ham for years at a time, and you live through plenty of moments when you rethink the decision to stay at home. Money got tight, and I learned to be a medical transcriptionist because I could work from home. "You're what? You're typing? What a waste!" So I often avoided the "What do you do?" questions. I was embarrassed to be a stay-at-home mom. Well, long story short. I got over that. By the time my kids were in school, I got honest with myself. Truly, being home with the kids and being a domestic goddess is what I wanted to be. So now the kids are 18 and 20. I never went back to work in an office. We don't swim in money around here, but we do alright. The money turned out not to be all that important. And I still "just type" which means I can afford gear and have the time to hit the trail pretty much when I want to.

Does any of this help you at all? I don't know. I can't tell you what to do. I can't look into your brain or into your bank accounts. You have to decide. But I think if you're honest about what you want to do and what you can do financially, you'll come up with a good answer for yourself.

[Pedaling Fool]

I flipped a coin, it was heads, so go on the hike.

[tucker0104]

My plan is to take the big money making job and leave a moderate life so I can do what I want with my life and not be held back by paying something else off. I might be 35 or 40 before I start this but at least I am debt free with money in the bank

[Serial 07]

I have chased the "dollars" my whole life and can't really say what happiness it has brought me. I can't even sit back and feel any sense of accomplishment. Man, I am changin!!! But I think I like it!


Well I am sort of in the same boat. I just paid off all of my debts from college, car, etc, and have a decent job that appears to be pretty steady. But I am leaving to hike. It is a huge risk with the economy. It may or may not be better in 9 months. Like you said it is a personal decision, I chose to hike!


now it's posts like these that inspire me to follow my dream...joshua, hike man...the AT is an amazing event and a life changer...what happens afterward will come and you'll be prosperous as long as you maintain that positivity provided to you by the trail...and to be able to share this experience with someone as close as a brother...there's no other options here i'm afraid...see you in the spring...


serial

[traildust]

HIKE!!! I was in a great position in Washington DC with a great future in a secure government job. After almost five years I walked away. with the blessing of my boss who left the Bush Ad. about a year later. been walking the trail off and on since then. got me a small farm and a small country store that pays the bills but more important lets me shut the door when i want and go hiking.

HIKE!!! Economy is heading into toilet. TAKE THE JOB!!!! Economy heading into toilet. Not much help I know.

traildust:banana

[Blissful]

I'd take the job, the trail will always be there. :)

[Spirit Walker]

If you have the funds to hike and live without working for a while afterwards, I would say go for it. Life is short and uncertain. Right now you and your brother have the health and the money to do this. A year from now that may all change. Eat dessert first ;-)

When my husband hiked the AT he was 53. It took him several months to get a job afterwards and then a bad economy meant he lost that job a year later, along with 40 of his co-workers. It took a full year to get another. Our finances were a mess - for a while. However, a few years later, he quit that job and we went hiking again. Why? The fact that his younger brother had had two heart attacks and bypass surgery were a constant reminder that if he waited until retirement age, he might not be able to hike another long trail. He had no regrets for choosing the hikes. We'll never be rich - but we have had a very rich life.

After I hiked the AT, I thought I would never hike the trail again. However, a few years later I found that I really missed the life and was constantly thinking about it. I wanted to go back to see if it was really as good as I remembered. Instead, I changed course and took a really good new job - I thought. The job was great, my boss was not. Five months later I was back on the trail. Bottom line - in the end I did what I really wanted to do, it just took me a while.

It's a risk, quitting a good job in a bad economy. But you have to decide how important the dream is for you. Thruhiking is hard. Do you really care enough to risk your economic future to live the dream, knowing there are no guarantees either way? You may quit your job, start the trail and find you hate it. Then you're left with no job and no thruhike. Or you may stay with the job and find yourself unable to hike the trail - ever. Or you may take the job and still find yourself unemployed six months later. Or you may work the job for a year or two, then go on the trail, and everything works out beautifully. Lots of possibilities - and no way of predicting how it will work out except -- how much do you want this hike? Only you can say.

[Tinker]

Family first. If you have a saleable profession, I wouldn't worry about work after the hike. A lot of folks get jobs with hostels and businesses along the trail when they're done.
You're 54. I'm 55. I section hike but would love to do a thru. Even at YOUR age (heh-heh) it could be a life changing experience.
Not that I would wish it on you, but you could take that big fat raise, and on your way to work the next day get hit by a bus.
You only live once. I'm broke or I'd go with you. :D

Sorry Joshua, I reread your post and saw that you were the one that was 41.
Unless you think it will really break your brother's heart, or that he simply won't go without you, you might be better off taking the job offer. If it's the type of work that you hate, however, not the company you're with or your fellow workers, boss, etc. Hit the trail and don't look back.

[dan8794]

I have a similar situation. I was planning to do a thru-hike following graduation in May 2010. However, I have decided to go to law school, and being 23 already, I know that I cannot afford to wait to go to law school after the hike. It's a bummer but I know it's the smartest thing to do.

Hopefully, with a law degree, I will be given the opportunity to hike the trail at a later (much later) date.

[River Runner]

My biggest fear is what I will do when I get done hiking? I planned to take the 6 months and reflect on what I want to change in my life including occupations.

If I take the job I could bank a lot of money and hike in 2010 and be much better off financially.

Or you could hike the hike, reflect on what you want to change, and be a year ahead on the plan to change your life.

If you put it off in 2009 to make more money, will you be tempted to do the same in 2010?

While the trail will always be there (hopefully), we never know what may happen to us. If you really hate the type of work you are doing, and are putting in 80 hours a week, the stress may catch up to you even at age 41 and you may not be physically able to hike the trail in 2010. If you have the money now for the hike and a few months afterward, and truly want to change your life, go for it now.

[Montana Mac]

5 Year Dream coming to fruition, my brother and I leaving from Springer in March 2009. Currently working in a job I hate, 80 hours a week, blah, etc...

My brother is ready to go, he is so excited! He is 54 and I am 41. I have NEVER seen him so excited over something.


My younger brother and I grew up right near the AT and always talked about thru hiking the trail. In 2007 my brother had the opportunity to do his thru hike. I felt I was in a position that didn't allow me to do a thru with him. I managed to do about 475 miles with him. I have kicked myself in the a$$ ever since for not thruing with him! It was an opportunity that will most likely never present itself again. We are not kids -

My advice to you is go for it, but like anything else you read here it is just one person's opinion - you have to make the final decision.

[joshua5878]

I flipped a coin, it was heads, so go on the hike.

I was also thinking about the quarter thing but since you beat me to the punch I will go with your toss!!!

I Thank All Of You for taking time to reply to my "personal" dilema".

I have to go thru with the interview for the job, had already agreed to that, maybe I will get lucky and not get picked, but even if I do I can always say no.

I have saved probably just enough money to buy gear for both my brother and I (he is broke) and to allow 4K a piece during the hike and have a couple grand left over when we are thru.

My heart is telling me to hike. I think it just might save my life! I am in awful shape for a 41 year old man. Blood pressure off the chart, overweight, smoke etc...

This being said I have no intention to "attempt" a thru hike, my intent is to complete a thru hike. I know that the worst day on the trail will be far better than my best days in my current job. Its that bad.

Thanks again for all the replies!!! Josh

[BookBurner]

Be forewarned, somethings always going to pop up causing you to contemplate putting off your hike for just one more year ....

[River Runner]

My heart is telling me to hike. I think it just might save my life! I am in awful shape for a 41 year old man. Blood pressure off the chart, overweight, smoke etc...

This being said I have no intention to "attempt" a thru hike, my intent is to complete a thru hike. I know that the worst day on the trail will be far better than my best days in my current job. Its that bad.



Best wishes on your hike Josh. Keep us posted!

[BackTrack1]

id go now, worry about the job later , you've been working all your life, take a break from the monotany and just do it,
what if you wait another yr and something happens to you or your brother? both of your dreams would be crushed and neither of you may never hike the trail, i lost my brother 1 1/2 yrs ago and wish we could have hiked the trail together, now he hikes with me in a small everywhere i go in a small shotgun shell urn i bought and put some of his ashes in it, family first then work!!!!!! work will always be there in some form or another, family wont.
if it were me id go now and worry about work later, you only live once and who wants to just work all of the time.
go hike with your brother man, and feel very lucky you can.

[buckwheat]

What I would do if I was you is this:

You don't say exactly what type of a job this is (executive?, ceo? master floor sweeper?). In some companies, they want your expertise so badly that they'll do almost anything to a) get you and b) deny their competitor your services.

Why not offer to take the job in 6 months, after your hike? If nothing else, they say no, and you've lost nothing. You may actually find out that they want you so bad, they'll do anything. Tell them you'll spend the 6 months thinking about how you can take the business and double their revenue (even if that's BS, it will sound impressive!)

[futureatwalker]

Interesting thread Joshua5878...

I was composing a "take the job, but negotiate a few weeks off to start with your brother" response in my head, until I read your last post. (My thinking behind this initial response, for what it's worth, is that with a few weeks on the trail you'd get a taste of the AT and some time with your brother, and he'd have met a lot of people by then, and would likely be comfortable hiking without you.)

However, your having high blood pressure, smoking, and being over-weight changes the whole equation. From what I understand, many people with your profile have their first heart attack in their 40s.

In short: you have got to hike, to save your life!

This is more than just a vacation - it's an investment in your future health. Seriously, where are you going to be, health-wise, if you continue on your current course for another 5 years? 6 months of hiking now, and you might be able to turn things around. Without your health, little else matters.

I wish you the best.

[joshua5878]

Interesting thread Joshua5878...

I was composing a "take the job, but negotiate a few weeks off to start with your brother" response in my head, until I read your last post. (My thinking behind this initial response, for what it's worth, is that with a few weeks on the trail you'd get a taste of the AT and some time with your brother, and he'd have met a lot of people by then, and would likely be comfortable hiking without you.)

However, your having high blood pressure, smoking, and being over-weight changes the whole equation. From what I understand, many people with your profile have their first heart attack in their 40s.

In short: you have got to hike, to save your life!

This is more than just a vacation - it's an investment in your future health. Seriously, where are you going to be, health-wise, if you continue on your current course for another 5 years? 6 months of hiking now, and you might be able to turn things around. Without your health, little else matters.

I wish you the best.


Thanks future, you are my age and I'm sure you can appreciate how hard it is to just pick up and leave. Yes I have the money saved to keep my son's tuition paid up, child support etc... but when I get back that "nest egg" will be but a yolk. But I really feel the urgency to do this now, not later. My brother is ten times more excited than I am. The day I got the call about the promotion he called me that evening. During our conversation he said, you know Josh, things aren't going well with me right now but just the thought of hitting the trail with my little bro keeps me going every day! Obviously I didn't say anything about the job. And no, he doesn't own a computer.

I'm going, one way or the other, I have 2.5 months to tidy up. Thanks again futureatwalker! Hope you get your chance soon! Josh

[Jorel]

Great post. I am walking away from the height of my earning potential at 55 to hike. When I return I will still have a profession, but not be part of my long-term partnership. I don't care. My kids are now on their own, and my wife has good job. I have decided that $$$ are not worth lost years anymore. I am delighted to see so many people discussing such a tough issue.

[joshua5878]

Great post. I am walking away from the height of my earning potential at 55 to hike. When I return I will still have a profession, but not be part of my long-term partnership. I don't care. My kids are now on their own, and my wife has good job. I have decided that $$$ are not worth lost years anymore. I am delighted to see so many people discussing such a tough issue.

Are you hiking in 2009? AT? If you don't mind me asking, how is your wife taking it? My wife was very supportive @ first but I feel her second guessing a little now as it draws closer, especially now with a better job offer. Wish I didn't tell her but knew I had better. I am trying to reduce the amount of things that could torment my mind the first couple of weeks out if not the entire trip.

[Many Walks]

My two cents for what it's worth. I came to a similar fork in the road and decided we all have a choice to either chase the money and material stuff (and probably die of a heart attack at the office) or to follow the dream. I chose to leave a very lucrative position as a Senior Manager in a huge corporation in order to simplify my life and hike the trail. My only regret is I wish I'd done it sooner. If you listen to your body to avoid injury, take the time to enjoy the journey, and focus on things that are really important to you, it will be a great opportunity to get fit and decide what you really want to do with the time you have left. I was fortunate that my wife and I both hiked and we changed our lifestyle together. It appears you will need to work through that part. A lot of people hike with a supportive spouse at home, but if that's an issue I suspect it could severely hamper or stop a thru hike. I'm sure a lot of folks here could input to that. It's a tough decision, but I figured if someday I end up in the corner of a nursing home drooling all over myself, at least I'll have some great memories long after all the "stuff" has been dispersed. That was also my same justification for buying the Harley! Wish you the best, I know it's a tough one.

[RadioFreq]

Great post. I am walking away from the height of my earning potential at 55 to hike. When I return I will still have a profession, but not be part of my long-term partnership. I don't care. My kids are now on their own, and my wife has good job. I have decided that $$$ are not worth lost years anymore. I am delighted to see so many people discussing such a tough issue.

Geez, Jorel, I see your post and I thought I had typed it. Exact same situation...kids on their own, a supportive wife w/ decent job, same age, etc.

And, Joshua....I see you in two different scenarios.

You are sitting at home after taking the higher paying position that you don't seem all that crazy about and feeling guilty for not going out with your brother.....

vs.

You are sitting around a campfire on the trail with your brother (and others) having a great time and it suddenly dawns on you that you haven't thought about your old job or job prospects since who knows when.

It's your call.

:) T-minus 83 days.....and counting :)

[Ender]

You're asking a biased group... everyone here are hikers, so most of us are going to tell you to go. Try asking a group not affiliated with hiking.

(And for what it's worth, I say go hiking and have fun)

[joshua5878]

5 Year Dream coming to fruition, my brother and I leaving from Springer in March 2009. Currently working in a job I hate, 80 hours a week, blah, etc...

My biggest fear is what I will do when I get done hiking? I planned to take the 6 months and reflect on what I want to change in my life including occupations.

My brother is ready to go, he is so excited! He is 54 and I am 41. I have NEVER seen him so excited over something.

So whats wrong?? I got a call last night with an offer to relocate, in the same business, (the business that I hate) at a substantial raise. Very substantial!

If I take the job I could bank a lot of money and hike in 2010 and be much better off financially. My brother would be crushed!

I know this is kind of personal but just writing this makes me feel better about making the choice. I know if I wait till 2010, 2009 will be a long year.

Also my business if being effected by our economy so I thought by hiking this year, upon our return things might be a little better.

Feel free to give me your thoughts, any of you in the same boat???

Thanks for listening.

A higher power has given me a message!!! The promotion has fallen through. My decision has been made for me. I will see those of you leaving in March on the trail!!!

Can't begin to describe the level of excitement I now feel for not having to second guess whether or not I made the right decision! Maybe this could lead to a trail name. "Nopromo" or "Noraise". Any other suggestions? Many Thanks to all of you that contributed to this thread!