how do i make the AT a reality?

[jbrecon2]

so has anyone else struggled with the giving it all up dilema? i hiked the virginia section in 05, and have been dreaming of thru hiking for many years but fear all that is associated with the logistics of it. getting rid of my apartment, probally having to sell my car (payment 552 a month), wondering where ill come back to, wondering if i'll still have a girlfriend...ect ect. in a way it is kind of the beauty of it, but it is scary nonetheless. the good news is that i am a nurse, so i'll find work somewhere....its just hard not knowing what im coming back to, or even where i will go when i am done
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/statusicon/user_offline.gif

[Pokey2006]

I was lucky in that I had parents I could live with for a couple of months after my hike. But I was in my own apartment and working full-time within three months of my return.

Finding a place to live is easy. You could crash with friends or hook up with someone looking to rent out a room. My advice, though, would be to put aside some money to help you get settled after the hike. Resist the temptation to spend it DURING the hike.

I gave up a sweet apartment, a car, a job/career, a boyfriend, in order to hike the trail. All of those things can be easily replaced...

[Doctari]

EVERY DAY, FOR AT LEAST 12 YEARS!!
AND, I have wanted to hike the AT since I first saw it at Clingman's Dome in the Smokies in 1964.

Love the wife & kids, But,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Lyle]

" how do i make the AT a reality?"

Simple enough. DECIDE.


That is the biggest obstacle for most. Once the decision is firmly made, everything else will work out.

[brewtus dreadsmore]

you have to ask yourself : what am I giving up by not hiking the trail ?
then plan for a year .
then throw wild loud partys at your apt , get kicked out .- trust me it will be fun !
leave the keys in your car everywhere you go - till it gets stolen - then collect the insurance . - that prob. solved .
And if your gilfriend and you are meant to be - she will either come with you or understand your adventurous side and support you .
If she dos'nt - then refer back to my opening statement .

[chicote]

yeah... set a date. That's what made me take the plunge (well my wife pushed me to set the date). We set money aside for the hike and the return – quit our jobs and got rid of anything we had to pay for. It was awesome not worrying about bills for 5 months. Turn it all off! Sell the car – even better. We were in our late twenties when it happened and were still able to cut the cords. Best thing we've ever done.

[Blissful]

I found setting a date helped me when I was four years out, then got ready for it. But I wanted to do it at age 14 and waited 30 years to complete it. Hang in there.

[sheepdog]

Hooch, is that you?

[Hooch]

Hooch, is that you?Nope.


so has anyone else struggled with the giving it all up dilema? i hiked the virginia section in 05, and have been dreaming of thru hiking for many years but fear all that is associated with the logistics of it. getting rid of my apartment, probally having to sell my car (payment 552 a month), wondering where ill come back to, wondering if i'll still have a girlfriend...ect ect. in a way it is kind of the beauty of it, but it is scary nonetheless. the good news is that i am a nurse, so i'll find work somewhere....its just hard not knowing what im coming back to, or even where i will go when i am done
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/statusicon/user_offline.gifAs a nurse also, all I can say is make your decision, make your plans and go for it. But, before you go, speaking nurse to nurse, make sure your ducks are in a row. Renew your license or make provisions for it to be done while you're away if it expires during your hike and renew any clinical credentials (BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, ENPC, BTLS, etc) before you go. Also, make sure your CEU's are up to date. Finding a job shouldn't be a problem when you get back, especially if you did your legwork beforehand. And get rid of that overpriced freakin' car! :rolleyes::D Good luck!

[Monkeywrench]

so has anyone else struggled with the giving it all up dilema? i hiked the virginia section in 05, and have been dreaming of thru hiking for many years but fear all that is associated with the logistics of it. getting rid of my apartment, probally having to sell my car (payment 552 a month), wondering where ill come back to, wondering if i'll still have a girlfriend...ect ect. in a way it is kind of the beauty of it, but it is scary nonetheless. the good news is that i am a nurse, so i'll find work somewhere....its just hard not knowing what im coming back to, or even where i will go when i am done
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/statusicon/user_offline.gif

If you really want to do it... set a date, and start working towards it. Just keep taking steps in the direction you want to go. Eventually you'll get there.

It's possible this isn't the right time for you. If so, things won't work out and you'll find yourself unable to go right now. But don't give up. Eventually the time will be right and things will fall into place, but it won't just happen by itself. You need to keep plugging away at making it happen.

For me, it didn't happen until my kid was grown and off on her own, the house was sold, and all the bills were paid off. But it did happen.

[stranger]

I know this seems like a relatively huge decision, and if it's your first major decision of this kind (walking into the unknown) then it's even harder.

All I can say is that I've made these big decisions a number of times in my life and I have never regretted a single one.

- I am glad I quit my job in 1994 to hike the Long Trail
- I am glad I dropped out of college, and quit my job for an AT hike in 1995
- I am glad I followed my heart and spent two years touring in a punk rock band rather than get a real job in the late 90's
- I am glad I moved out of my apartment and quit my job for an AT hike in 2001
- I am glad I moved to New Zealand in 2002
- I am glad I took a leave of absence from my job last year for another AT hike
- I am glad I moved to Australia earlier this year
- I am glad I'm hiking the Bibbulmun Track starting in one months time
- I will be glad to leave my job again in March next year for another AT hike

Not one of those decisions were supported by many of my friends or family, and for each of those decisions I was quite scared, sometimes I threw up or couldn't sleep. However, with each big decision came life experience and confidence, and those things never leave you.

And now, some years later, all those who thought that hiking the AT was a crazy idea, or playing music, or moving across the world, talk about how "lucky" I am to have had those experiences. How they wish they had done more than they have, it's always the same story.

Break the accepted pattern, do what you want to do, that nervous feeling means that you're still alive... Here's a line from one of our songs back in the day which I think sums it up nicely...

"The burning in the pit of your stomach and your heart's about to break, look around at the mess your in wondering if you've made a big mistake, everyone's gonna say you're crazy but you gotta stick to your guns, they don't know it but we're the lucky ones"

You need to make it a reality, that's how it works.

[jbrecon2]

hey stranger....thank you. i just about got goosebumps reading that. and to the rest of you, thank you so much. perhaps what makes it scary is that in my mind i think i have already decided and i just don't know it yet. for some reason i doubt anyone has ever hiked the appalacian trail and regretted it. regardless of what they sacraficed.

[stranger]

That's another thing I've realized over the years with these significant decisions - they tend to make themselves.

Anyhow I hope to see you out there next year, I'll be there again

[Pacific Tortuga]

Forget it.
Do the responsible thing like work, home, dept and paying tax's.
What, you want to be a bum ? Hiker trash want-a-be ?
Settle down, get hitched and suck up a dose of reality.
30 something, get a life, not left wing, have the government take care of you, 'hand out' dreams, of care free walking.
Sure, move back with your parent's, spend their money for retirement.
Insurance ? or get hurt indigent?, while we, (us tax payers) pay for the trauma care ?
We're in finacial stress, be a solution not a problem.


or tell me to f.o. and have the time of your life, it's just walking but the people you meet will stay with you your whole life. :cool:

[Jester2000]

. . . or tell me to f.o. and have the time of your life, it's just walking but the people you meet will stay with you your whole life. :cool:

Under any circumstances it's probably a good idea to tell PT to F Off. He doesn't mind, and you'll feel really good about it.

His message is right, though. I know it's particularly hard for people in their thirties to wrap their minds around walking away from it all. Usually by that age you've acquired things and a career (rather than a job), and you're probably more serious about your significant other.

But while dreaming is nice, doing is better.

There will always be another car, another job, another lifesize cardboard cutout of Chuck Norris (which you didn't specifically mention, but which I'm going to assume you own).

The girl? She'll understand. Or she won't, which makes things more complicated and leads to people saying things like, "it's okay, she obviously wasn't 'the one,'" whatever the hell that means. Regardless, you'll be fine.

Looking back, I can honestly say that nothing I've done has had as positive an impact on my life as thru-hiking the AT. I was 30 at the time. I can't tell you how happy I am that I'm not 39 and still dreaming about it.

[Not Sunshine]

I’m in the exact same dilemma, but – given the likelihood that either of us will FINISH the trail – just on statistics alone – it might not be a full 5-6month commitment.

I’m in healthcare, too, so I know I will be able to find another job – even with a big 6-month hole in my resume. Surely I will miss my apartment (I figure the best solution would be to get a couple PODS units and pack everything up), and I would have to find a place to store my car. Of course, having some money in the bank will help out tremendously…

But honestly – when in your life would it be more convenient?? If you’re (1) not married (2) have no mortgage (3) have no children (4) have some $ in the bank…you’re YOUNG and it might just be the best time to take an early mid-life vacation. These are all points that I have made for myself…and everyday I think about it, the evidence mounts that NOW is the time to try – and like I said before – no promises you’ll finish. Isn’t it only 1 in 5 who do? Having no “home responsibilities” might just give you the extra incentive to finish it in a season.

It might be the best year of your life. And if it’s meant to be, things will start to happen that will encourage you (and me) to take a long walk in the woods.

[Pacific Tortuga]

[quote=Jester2000;882421]Under any circumstances it's probably a good idea to tell PT to F Off. He doesn't mind, and you'll feel really good about it.


Thanks Jester, I knew I could depend on your support.

Since you received that "hikers choice award" for being in more Trail movies than anyone else you act like your trowel doesn't stink. :)

[jbrecon2]

you know i wasnt all that sure if this was a dream or something i just always thought would be cool. if it wasn't a dream, i've made it one. its worse than the biggest crush i ever had. when i go to sleep i think about it, when i wake up i think about it. i've found myself in REI three times in the last week writing down ounces of gear.

how can i ever look my kids (when i have some) in the eye and say "follow your dreams" if i dont do this. basically, i'm going hiking.

well, the only thing to do now is think up a trail name....or perhaps let someone name me again. i was given one before (tripod) because i had two walking sticks and one good leg. than it was taken away from me when someone else came along with that name. i was than called "northface" because it seemed everything i owned was northface gear. perhaps to give myself a little incentive not to leave trail i will call myself "won't quit" haha. perhaps.....i'll have a contest on here and let one of you name me. two packs of Ramen for the winner wooooo hooooo!!!!

[Nomaderwhat]

I'm JB's brother. Regardless of his doubts, we're doing this hike. If he were to back out, I would torment him with my glorious tales!! And even if I had none (impossible), I would make them up.. simply to drive him nuts. Perhaps the fact that he isn't capable of allowing his little brother to "hike his own hike", while he hikes to his car, and drives to work.. is just the motivation he needed. I on the other hand, was sold once I heard that we get to sleep with mice and lose our toenails. Sweet! So look out for these brothers in March of twentyten.

[Pacific Tortuga]

:welcome Wish you two the best.

[Just a Hiker]

I feel that deciding to thru-hike the AT isn't really deciding on an single event....it's deciding on a lifestyle change. If you do choose to hike the AT, you are going to learn that you didn't need alot of that "stuff" to begin with and your life will be different from that point forward. I have yet to meet a long distance hiker who's life wasn't changed by their experiences on the AT, or any other long distance trail for that matter.

On the trail, you are going to have lots of time to think about your life and what's really important to you; and when you finish the trail and go home, you will more than likely adjust your lifestyle accordingly......that's the power that all of America's long distance trails have. Of course, that's not always the case; I've met thru-hikers who couldn't wait to finish so they can get back to the lives they had prior to the trail, and it's those people who never really come back to the trail and you never see them again..........however, that's the exception to the rule.

I would advise you to just make a final decision and atleast try it out for awhile. If it's not for you..........then go home. If the AT is everything you hoped for.......then keep walking. Either way, your life will change for the better. Good Luck!


Just Jim

[Jester2000]

Since you received that "hikers choice award" for being in more Trail movies than anyone else you act like your trowel doesn't stink. :)

Wait. Does your trowel stink?!? You're not actually sticking your trowel in poo are you?

(I'd like to note that as all hiker conversations eventually devolve into discussions about eating or pooping, this post is not "off-topic" but rather just part of the natural course of this sort of thing)

[stranger]

I must say the reference to the life sized Chuck Norris cardboard cutout made my day!

[jbrecon2]

he must be a profiler for the FBI or something. i took chuck down. although description not completely accurate. i've actually been around a little bit. 12 years Army, all over the world, put myself through college poor....and did have enough gumption to get up and go hike 340 miles on the AT on a whim when i had some time off. i'm a bit of a wanderer....or i was and lost it. however i do have a cozy litttle life and nice plasma tv with 400 cable channels i never watch and an SUV that i never use off the road and a set of nice polos in the closet.....God i'm beginning to hate myself

[George]

what a rare opportunity for brothers in your age group to both be able to get away, by the time my brother and I were that age we had 4 and 7 kids so no time off work

[Not Sunshine]

I'm JB's brother. Regardless of his doubts, we're doing this hike. If he were to back out, I would torment him with my glorious tales!! And even if I had none (impossible), I would make them up.. simply to drive him nuts. Perhaps the fact that he isn't capable of allowing his little brother to "hike his own hike", while he hikes to his car, and drives to work.. is just the motivation he needed. I on the other hand, was sold once I heard that we get to sleep with mice and lose our toenails. Sweet! So look out for these brothers in March of twentyten.


oh and when you DON'T hear mice - you know there's snakes!

[David@whiteblaze]

you know i wasnt all that sure if this was a dream or something i just always thought would be cool. if it wasn't a dream, i've made it one. its worse than the biggest crush i ever had. when i go to sleep i think about it, when i wake up i think about it. i've found myself in REI three times in the last week writing down ounces of gear.

how can i ever look my kids (when i have some) in the eye and say "follow your dreams" if i dont do this. basically, i'm going hiking.

well, the only thing to do now is think up a trail name....or perhaps let someone name me again. i was given one before (tripod) because i had two walking sticks and one good leg. than it was taken away from me when someone else came along with that name. i was than called "northface" because it seemed everything i owned was northface gear. perhaps to give myself a little incentive not to leave trail i will call myself "won't quit" haha. perhaps.....i'll have a contest on here and let one of you name me. two packs of Ramen for the winner wooooo hooooo!!!!
Why not stick w/ northface, or, if youre tired of that name and a nobo, and this is as creative as i get: "Northfacer" that way, you get 2 meanings and therefore are allowed greater rights to the name than any other guy who comes along (unless you meet robert perry).

[David@whiteblaze]

ill pass on the ramen, even though i was so creative

[jbrecon2]

haha thanks for the suggestion. the girl who gave me that name (hippie chik) was high at the time. i've been doing so much thinking and soul searching in the past few weeks. i recall my first thought of hiking it while sitting on a tank in colorado after talking to a buddy about it when i was in the army. i'm even more excited now than ever. i've bought some gear, made financial decisions (i.e. shut of my cable), and am on a collision path with springer. i've defended our freedom, and now i'm truly gonna go get a little taste of it. i've even gone as far as telling my boss. she looked at me and said "i don't get you, but your ok by me". basically i going to go live my own little American dream......day in and day out. hot damn!!! to all who have given me little tid bits of advice and encouragement, thank you!!!!! I am now joining the class of 2010 and you can rest assured you will be seeing pictures of me on Springer next year!!

[jbrecon2]

plus.....i tend to favor patagonia now.

[Rockhound]

On a different note, I'm thinking of getting off the trail, getting a job, paying taxes and becoming a responsible and respectable member of society again. It's a scary proposition I know and I'm just not sure how to go about it, (or even if I really want to) Can someone please talk some sense into me before I make a mistake I'll regret forever?

[jbrecon2]

pebble puppy....don't do it. just imagine getting up to the sound of an alarm clock and not looking forward to anything about the day ahead. or get off the trail like i did only to dream about it until you are back on.

[tammons]

You only live once.

I say sell your car, put everything in storage and go for it while you are young and fit.

As a nurse you can find work anywhere anytime.

Suggestion on the girlfriend. Fly her up, (or down) for a few days to meet you a couple of times during the trip. If she really loves you she will still be there when you get back. If not, it probably would not have lasted anyway.

I am an out of work (almost) self employed architect, so I am making a change and am going to attempt an AT thru hike. Time to move on and something I have wanted to do since 1980. At least everything is lighter now.

That said now I am 53 and its going to be more difficult. I am still in good shape except for one knee, but it would have been a lot easier at 31. In 1992 I went through the same type of economic setback and could have taken off then and now I wish I had.

My philosphy is all these things we think we have to have, new cars, huge mortgages, the job, clients are all just chains that drag a lot of us free spirits down.

My entire life I have basically been a nomad, then I went to college.
Graduated, got a job, started working as a sole proprieor and slowly day by day I got more stuck in the drudgery of an air conditioned life.

Went from being 90% free to do whatever I wanted to 10% now and I want the 90% back.

I sometimes wonder what happened to the guy that used to hike sections of the AT, wander around in New Mexico and Arizona.

Still here, he just need to lose some bagage.

I truley admire the guy above that has a wife that is supportive enough to spur him on to make a 6 month through hike. Congrads. Sounds like you have a good one.

[Trailbender]

I hiked the AT for a month in August, and I still think about it. There were some parts of it that sucked majorly, but overall, it was an adventure.

[David@whiteblaze]

plus.....i tend to favor patagonia now.
patagonia???

[jbrecon2]

well i dont want to be a walking advertisement for anybody do i?

[Tinker]

In response to opening post:
Keep up the section hikes.
Hope you're healthy enough after retirement.
Become the wisdom of age and experience to "newbies" starting out on their "Adventure of a lifetime".
Don't sweat it.
:sun

[Blue Jay]

In response to opening post:
Become the wisdom of age and experience to "newbies" starting out on their "Adventure of a lifetime".
Don't sweat it.
:sun

One minor problem with that is that a section hiker knows less than nothing about thru hiking. It's less than nothing because a section hiker thinks he knows something and there is nothing more dangerous than a human who thinks he knows something.

[Trailbender]

One minor problem with that is that a section hiker knows less than nothing about thru hiking. It's less than nothing because a section hiker thinks he knows something and there is nothing more dangerous than a human who thinks he knows something.


Not really, I did the first 200 miles in May, and learned a lot about lightening my pack, ect. I did it for fun, but saw it as kind of "AT basic training".

[Trailbender]

well i dont want to be a walking advertisement for anybody do i?


I cut off all the tags on my clothing and gear.

[Lilred]

One minor problem with that is that a section hiker knows less than nothing about thru hiking. It's less than nothing because a section hiker thinks he knows something and there is nothing more dangerous than a human who thinks he knows something.


Depends on the section. I went out for five weeks this year, and I've been doing this since 2003. I assure you I know something about thru-hiking. What an arrogant post.
oh and btw, I'm not dangerous. I'm quite sure I could give a newbie good and accurate advice about how to manage a thru-hike.

[David@whiteblaze]

then y dont u? i've hiked about 2 hours on the at. at least half of those i was 5.

[David@whiteblaze]

well i dont want to be a walking advertisement for anybody do i?
oh, is patagonia a brand name?

[LiamNZ]

oh, is patagonia a brand name?
Yep. It's quite high end'ish. http://patagonia.com (http://patagonia.com/)

[jbrecon2]

In response to opening post:
Keep up the section hikes.
Hope you're healthy enough after retirement.
Become the wisdom of age and experience to "newbies" starting out on their "Adventure of a lifetime".
Don't sweat it.
:sun



wow, way to burst my bubble

[Doctari]

As Wingfoot always said: "Hiking the AT has to be the most important thing to you (in your life) for it to be a successful hike.”
If you give up (Put on hold) the: Car, Apartment, Job, Girlfriend, etc. Will you get out there & start missing them.
True story: A friend gave up all this, including his apartment. About a week or two into his hike, he got to dwelling on how he was “Homeless”, he lasted about a month before the depression got to him. Funny thing though, his “After trail plans” were to go live with his son, which is what he did anyway because he was tired of being “Homeless”, so even in planning, he knew he wasn’t actually homeless, he just let it eat at him.
I tell this story to say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. There is no big stuff!”
Maybe what would have helped him, & may help you (It does help ME): Write a note to yourself, say something like:
“I can’t quit, I am out here because I love it. If thinking about quitting, take a day off, get clean, warm & dry, then keep hiking!”
This note saved my last long distance (20 days) trip on several occasions. I have it at the top of each page of my trail guides so have to read it every day, well, at least I see it each time I open my guides.

[ike1985]

Sell all the things you shoudl get rid of anyway:
Examples:

TV
playstation
paintball gun
movies
games
any entertainment related items
extra cars
etc

[jbrecon2]

i am kind of in that phase IKE. however, it seems as though the "specialists" at the verizon company are trained psychologist that talk you out of getting rid of your service. jeez, the world series is coming up, and it will cost me 200 dollar early termination fee. and i have a girlfriend who will not be thrilled!!

[Wise Old Owl]

so has anyone else struggled with the giving it all up dilema? i hiked the virginia section in 05, and have been dreaming of thru hiking for many years but fear all that is associated with the logistics of it. getting rid of my apartment, probally having to sell my car (payment 552 a month), wondering where ill come back to, wondering if i'll still have a girlfriend...ect ect. in a way it is kind of the beauty of it, but it is scary nonetheless. the good news is that i am a nurse, so i'll find work somewhere....its just hard not knowing what im coming back to, or even where i will go when i am done
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/statusicon/user_offline.gif

answering the title......

Uh hike.... Avoid smoking ramps, leeks and other leaves....:eek:


Should be in the humor forum IMO

[ShelterLeopard]

How do you make the AT a reality? Get the gear, sell all your stuff or store it, and head out to the trail! (I know, easier said than done- lucky for me, I'm living at my parents now, so I don't have to spend money on rent that could be used for hiking, and I have a place to come back to)

[ShelterLeopard]

then y dont u? i've hiked about 2 hours on the at. at least half of those i was 5.

Hey David, if you've only ever hiked two hours, how do you know you don't hate it?

[David@whiteblaze]

Well, i consider myself a not-very-outdoorsey type of person and the fact that i didnt just turn around and play w/ my excessive collection of gizmos in the car [laptop, mp3, gps(not very much fun, but at least it's something.),Walkie-Talkies... to name a few.] was a very big notification that i didnt hate it. And i was sad after those first 27 min. were up bcuz i had to turn around and go back. and my post was asking the self-proclaimed arrogant post poster to give some advice 2 some noobs.

[ShelterLeopard]

It's good that you are so optomistic, but you can not say that you like hiking after hiking less than an hour- you need to at least go on an overnight hike, if not a weeklong one, because hiking for an hour is completely different from hiking for several days- COMPLETELY different. Especially with a full pack.

[Graywolf]

Eversince I found out of the AT I have wanted to hike it, but I kept letting things interupt me like, what others call life. When I began my job last year as a chef at a race track I knew we would be open for only a few months out of the year. So I decided to take a leap and at least do a section hike in August. I wouldn't even go out. I saved what I could. Yes, my trip was prematurely ended, but I LOVED it. I learned alot on that trip and now am replacing old equipment and saving once again for the big one in 2011. What am I going to do after that? Don't know. Maybe continue hiking and work as I go. I have no family, I live with my dad,:confused:, car is paid off, girlfriend left me cause she couldn't understand why I didn't buy another car after I paid the other one off, it's only 1 1/2 years old. Love to cook and being out side, Yeah, I would say I am going to do it again. I really miss it. It was a blast and I didn't get enough. Please will some one rescue me from this madness

[Jester2000]

Please will some one rescue me from this madness

It's too late.

[pjbarr]

AWOL's book begins by addressing this rather well.

[tenbeer]

I feel that deciding to thru-hike the AT isn't really deciding on an single event....it's deciding on a lifestyle change. If you do choose to hike the AT, you are going to learn that you didn't need alot of that "stuff" to begin with and your life will be different from that point forward. I have yet to meet a long distance hiker who's life wasn't changed by their experiences on the AT, or any other long distance trail for that matter.

On the trail, you are going to have lots of time to think about your life and what's really important to you; and when you finish the trail and go home, you will more than likely adjust your lifestyle accordingly......that's the power that all of America's long distance trails have. Of course, that's not always the case; I've met thru-hikers who couldn't wait to finish so they can get back to the lives they had prior to the trail, and it's those people who never really come back to the trail and you never see them

again..........however, that's the exception to the rule.

I would advise you to just make a final decision and atleast try it out for awhile. If it's not for you..........then go home. If the AT is everything you hoped for.......then keep walking. Either way, your life will change for the better. Good Luck!


Just Jim

Amen Brother

[TwoForty]

Sounds like you are awfulyl tied to your possessions. Doing with less is a good start. having a good person to take care of things back in the real world is also a huge help. On two of my section hikes, I put all my stuff in storage the night before, parked my car at my dads, went hiking, came back, got a new apartment, and started the cycle all over again.

[jnanagardener]

Well said stranger! Very inspiring. As a high school teacher who just turned 40, hiking the AT seems like a long shot. Sounds silly but I walk about 3 miles a day, 5 to 6 times a week. I'm talking walking in the concrete jungle of Palm Harbor, FL. If I'm lucky I'll hike 10 times a year. Those habits, if you can call them that, are what helps me to keep the "burning in my stomach" that Stranger mentioned, fueled. I also agree with those who've talked about setting a date. Once you do that, you begin dealing with many of the other extraneous things that seemed like obstacles. Things then begin to fall into place. Good luck!

[jbrecon2]

well here i am several months later.....and ill be on springer in April. Kinda scary, still working out some of the details. We are not even sure how we are getting there yet, I'm not sure if i will sell or store my car, and have no idea where i will go when im done; but i am going. I've researched and bought gear, my brother has resigned his job and is moving up with me at the end of this month from florida. On march 1st i give up my apartment and move in with my girlfriend for the remaining time until i leave. Its all really exciting but i am still....nervous. Can't really put a finger on it although there are alot of things to put a finger on....its just a constant butterfly type thing in my stomach. Its the hurt of seeing how upset my girlfriend gets at the thought of me voluntarily leaving for 6 months, worrying about leaving my little security net even though it really is the reason im doing this in the first place. Just thinking out loud.

[Spirit Walker]

Hurray for you and your brother. I hope it's everything you hoped for - and more.

[Jester2000]

Exciting! Good luck and have fun!

[Disney]

You won't regret it, not now nor here ever after. You may temporarily curse the skies, the mice, the cold, the hot, the attack chipmunks, malaria mosquitoes and the son of a goat who put in so many PUDS, but you won't regret it.

Congratulations on making such a big step. You carry the envy of many (myself included).

[Scott Pummill]

Good Luck brothers. Thru-hiked in 92 and am planning a 2012 adventure myself (20 years later). In 92 my choices were simple. I was single, in college, and no responsibilities. Now for 2012 it is much more complicated...Wife, daughter, bills, and a whole list of responsibilities, but setting the date helped and the support form your family is extremely important. Good Luck again......remember to have patience with each other.....hiking in a group is and was difficult.

[Lilred]

well here i am several months later.....and ill be on springer in April. Kinda scary, still working out some of the details. We are not even sure how we are getting there yet, I'm not sure if i will sell or store my car, and have no idea where i will go when im done;

Drive to Amacalola and park your car there. For just a few bucks, you can leave your car there for the entire time you're gone. It will be within eye sight of the visitor center. Very safe.

[jbrecon2]

So I put this up a year ago. It seems like this is the time of year when people really are toying with the idea of next years hike. I read all of the advice.......than I ran with it. To any of you who are struggling with it..............live your dreams. Come and see for yourself

www.trailjournals.com/johnyboy (http://www.trailjournals.com/johnyboy)

[IronGutsTommy]

yep. as the saying goes, its better to regret the things you HAVE done, than to regret the things you HAVENT done. when your old and down to your last days, thats whats gonna gnaw at you... the move you didnt make, the chance you didnt take, the what ifs..

[sarah1021]

The not-knowing about after is part of the beauty of a thru-hike. you get to re-invent yourself, b/c you will have changed, and allow that to reflect in your new life(style).

Truth is, if you want it, you'll find a way to make it work. (one step at a time)
and If you don't, you'll find an excuse not to.

So just do it! Or don't, if that's what you really want.

[Tim51]

I'm thru-hiking next year. I'm quitting my job,(which i am sick of anyway). I have enough $ squirreled away to do the hike, and be able to relocate and find a new job after (that part takes some fairly long term planning for most people). I rent a furnished apartment so i dont really own much 'stuff'. My car is paid for...leaving it at a relatives. I'm divorced, kids are all grown up.....anyway, this is just the right time for me. I'm counting down the days!

[flats]

its all i did,got divorced and am slowly selling everything i own.hell,its only stuff anyways.all my friends think i am off my rocker but in reality doing the same thing everyday for the rest of my life sounds like death warmed over.u never know if u dont go!heres to saying f it and come on april!:banana

[Carbo]

"If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again--if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man--then you are ready for a walk." - from Thoreau's essay on walking and brought to by attention by a good friend when I was having second thoughts about a thru.

[Tim51]

Oh yes..i forgot to mention that i have no debt now at all. When i am done, i have enough family around so that i will have a place to stay for a short time if need be... It will be so nice to get out of the stinking rat-race for a while....The cell phones, the e-mail, the TV, the texting, the computers, the voiceMail, the face-booking, the traffic, the horns.....ugh! ...well, you get my drift.....i think you just know deep down in your heart if the time is right for you.

[Gramps]

Of course, you can be an old fart like me and wait until you retire and go (3 more years, yee-haw). But then you run the risk of starting to fall apart like me also. Maybe in 3 years, the AT will be hover-round accessible.:p