The Truth

By the end of your journey make sure you can hear the chatter of the mice, and listen for the clues in which will set you free!

"Rip" Nolan

Thank You Mom

Sometimes I think with the grand horizon in my lens it's difficult to appreciate the ground that I'm rooted to. Perhaps I will understand it once I am old and better seasoned with the wisdom of love, but really it is my mother's devotion which I have so easily overlooked in planning for this journey. It's difficult for any child to comprehend the meaning of sacrificing one life for another, and I think that is what I'm realizing my mom has done for me. After aspiring to the highest peaks, whether in school, with hobbies, or the mountains themselves, I feel guilty for so easily overlooking who has lifted my feet from the ground. It is my mom who has lent me her time, money, and breathed every breathe of excitement and anxiety with me, whom I feel guilty for leaving at home, filled with worry. Maybe it's because I'm so insecure with the world at my doorstep, but I cannot say that I am brave enough to venture into it alone without her support. From surprising me with her presents, tirelessly helping me plan, and spending those restless nights by the phone with dread, I know that she is really the force that has shaped me into all that I am proud of. And only a parent's love could reconcile what abuses I have done against her- my recklessness, my ingratitude, and my willingness to leave home behind- for this I am glad she can forgive me because sometimes I cannot forgive myself. And I know it is trite facing my guilt this way, but truly I have not yet learned how to love like she has. It is the best I can do to say thanks, and I love you, mom. 

Gear

Regardless of whether a hiker or a caged student, everyone loves the glimmer of new gear. Even people who are afraid of the outdoors are usually protected with the most rugged pieces of North Face or Mountain Hardware gear. My choices in gear include both the niceties that merchants offer as well as cheap secondhand products, just as efficient in combating the elements. Seriously, this is crucial stuff, so if you have questions, ask. 

Seeds of Ideas

For you who don't know me, or have been long out of contact, this is my massive adventure in the making. It is more than only a whim or a thrust of curiosity, but is instead a calculated and transcendent quest for my own life. I am sure that even my closest friends do not know the entire story behind my feelings and the reasons behind my restlessness, and many others hardly even know what the Appalachian Trail is. Perhaps a blog cannot do my feelings justice, but this is now my medium of reaching the masses with my plans and stories of the A.T., so I might as well begin at the beginning. 

In my years of high school ambitions I was just as confused as all my peers- a ball of putty ready to fit the mold of any college. I'm sure we were all intimidated by our classmates who knew "the answers:" the ones who easily developed initiatives to combat poverty in Southeast Asia while getting admitted to Ivy League schools, all with impeccable yearbook smiles. Now out of the haze of high-school I think we all realize that they were the most confused of us all, and probably the most directionless with their lives. In fact, as early as junior year I realized I had no passion to bind my thoughts, and no direction for my life; I was still young. I chose the direction of the woods. 

Thanks to the guidance of Bob Kuhn, my English teacher, I struggled through the dense thoughts of transcendentalists, particularly Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The 19th century idealist laid the seeds of curiosity in my mind- that I was living, primal being, endowed with powers of thought and feelings that would be wasted in society's confines. As I waded deeper into self-reliant philosophy, I realized that there is an entire world to explore beyond the boundaries of my city and my university ambitions.

College applications were a gamble. I faced the challenge of deferring a year from a place of high ideals, yet convincing it I was not entirely a shiftless bum. Anyways, I had to illustrate myself on a two-dimensional level, portraying that I was not a cliche granola-fueled vagrant. The application process was, I'm sure, humiliating to us all, so I won't delve too much into my pontifications on paper. I chose to "matriculate" at Brown University, on the conditions of a one-year deferral, and plunged into the wilderness. 

My thoughts of exploring the bounds of humanity have only been honed by my year of independence. I spent the summer and autumn working on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, maintaining 50 miles of trails and replacing a 700 ft. boardwalk, which is an entirely different story. I grew into a different and stronger person, cultivating friendships with my trailcrew, the Earth, and the jagged White Mountains. 

Since that time, I have been living in lovely Winston-Salem, experiencing the gritty side of city life. Earning money is an ugly but necessary requirement to survival, and with the expenses the A.T. poses, I knew I needed to grind away at getting paid. A thru-hike of the A.T., balancing frugality and comfort costs between $2,000 to $5,000, after purchasing gear- a lofty bill for living in the woods (Hikers proclaim it costs about $1 a mile). Most expenses are derived from food and lodging. Hikers usually resupply about once a week, raiding rural groceries and outposts, and maybe choose to stay a night in a hostel, and of course, the minimal expenses accumulate. Therefore I've been putting forth my time working with my neighbor, a carpenter, and waiting tables at the local Irish pub, sacrificing my old dignity to make money. In the meantime, I have learned many interesting ideas and skills. 

I have released all of my plans and ambitions to cyberspace just as much for my benefit as yours. Hopefully, whilst on the trail, I will update my blog regularly to ease your anxieties that I may have been devoured by bears. Also, I've posted my itinerary, so that you can contact me, and hopefully include a package of brownies! But seriously, I'm leaving home to discover more than baked goods, so here you can join me in my experiences on the edge of life.