[at-l] New here...a dream coming true?

[DTimm65344@aol.com (DTimm65344@aol.com)]

Welcome (or should I say, Howdy) Stacy -

As far as I've gathered (and I've only been here at the campfire about a 
month), there are several of us that are stretched out along or near the 
trail on this DL.  I'm in Delwar (at least that's the way the pronounce it 
here) otherwise known as Delaware.  Even though I could contentedly walk off 
into the woods tomorrow forever, I've got a day job that I still enjoy and 
will likely continue doing so for 20 more years.  So I am section hiking the 
trail (I'm lucky that about 1/4 of the AT is within 4-5 hours of me so the 
logistics work for long weekends like last where I knocked out all of the 
Maryland section).  I think we also have at least Jawja (the correct spelling 
according to a fellow yankee college frat brother who has lived in Roswell 
for the past 20 years and is now a naturalized suburban 'Lanta yankee 
Jawjan), North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maine present 
here at the campfire that I've heard weigh in from time to time.

Point is -

Make as much of a plan as you can (stuff happens no matter how detailed the 
plan) for whenever you can make it happen and run with it (sooner rather than 
later - delayed plans typically get continually delayed).  If you get stuck 
along your travels, you likely have a number of bailout options and friendly 
folks to help out in a pinch, IMHO (kind of like Texas).  My plan on section 
hiking is that I will likely end up calling on these fine folks myself at 
some point along the trail (all y'all consider yourselves forewarned).  It 
only took me about four or five emails with this group to get this year's 
aborted Jawja section hike rescheduled for next March, which will make it two 
states down and twelve to go.

My two cents.

Happy trails,

Dave Timmons

p.s. - I'm a naturalized Texan having worked 7 years in the Lone Star State - 
even have the Texas passport to prove it.