[at-l] Ch ch ch changes....was Impact of Hiking?

[buchanan@shentel.net (Susan Buchanan)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "kahley" <kahley@ptd.net>

> In a way, I am afraid of the impact a thru would have on my life.
> So many people experience a life altering change during their
> thru.  <snip>
> That's my fear.  Not just that
> I may want more long trails but that there would be other huge
> changes in me that might make me less content when I get home.
<snip again> I pretty much like my life (except for the longing to thru and
some
> temp health restrictions).  Many days I am just a hairsbreadth away
> from content.  I guess what I fear is that a thru would change that
> so I'd like to hear from folks who did or did not change and whether
> their life still "fit" when they got home.

I haven't thrued, that is still in dream stage right now.  But I have
certain suspicions that a lot of this could depend upon how content one is
to begin with.  If I believe I can *only* get what I'm looking for *out
there* and that is why I'm going, then I'm either going to come back
disillusioned because it's not out there, or I'm going to find it out there,
and never want to stay back here.  But if I've got the ability to know my
attachment to this world, to this moment, to myself, to others around me
(that I want to be attached to!) . . . right now, right here . . . this
isn't coming out right.  Let me try this again - if you can learn to have
moments of "being" and not just "doing" in whatever your circumstances,
you'll be able to come back to that off the trail as well.  I suspect some
people develop that ability on the trail, and then can bring it back with
them.  Others take that on the trail with them to begin with, already
developed, and enjoy it in a new way.  Still others need to go back out to
be able to capture that again. And some never find it.

YMMV
suz