[at-l] We were all Newbies once

[farina6@aol.com (Farina6)]

My turn.

My name is Teresa French. I was born in Illinois and have lived in FL
since I was 5. I've always enjoyed the out of doors, and my parents used
to take us camping for vacations.

Looking back, I think the single most important thing fostering my
love of the outdoors was a week-long school trip to the Everglades
when I was in 6th grade. I thought the park rangers were the coolest
people on earth! The second most important was a month-long family
trip out west. We went to Yellowstone, Sequoia, Painted Desert,
Petrified Forest. I was 11, and didn't appreciate it like I would now,
but I have very fond memories of the trip. Especially of sleeping
outside in a campground in West Yellowstone in 40-degree temps, while
locals warned of "frequent nuisance bears." My parents slept in the
van. All of us kids (4 of us) survived.

All of my camping was of the car-type or group until November of last
year, when I took my first backpacking trip, on the AT. It was
unbelievable! It was after that trip that I set a goal for an AT
thruhike attempt, 2003. Up until that time, the thruhike was just a
dream, something to think about down the road.

My biggest hobby has always been softball, but that's changing. The
rewards aren't far above the "work" involved anymore, and it's time for
a change. My shoulder will thank me. Backpacking is becoming very
attractive to me. So, when softball season ends in October, my attention
will be fully focused on the AT.

I'm a buyer for some Ace Hardware stores. It's a job that's
allowed me flexibility for my hobbies, but I don't plan to keep it
after my thruhike.

I live with my cousin, and 3 cats. We all get along, except the humans
are allergic to the cats.

Other hobbies are sports (watching and participating), animal-watching,
and rollercoaster-riding. I love the Cubs and the Gators. Oh, and I'm
going to skydive at least once too.

That's enough. There's some stuff at:
http://hometown.aol.com/farina6/index.html

Teresa in SW Florida



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