[at-l] To Walk Or Not To Walk

[sguida@qwest.net (sguida@qwest.net)]

When I chose to attempt a thru-hike in '98...it was ALL i wanted to do.
I thought it. Breathed it. Bored everyone to tears with it. Frightened
everyone with it when i said there'd be no gun or c--l ph-ne with me.
Couldn't sleep at night for planning for it. Geared up. Went to a
Gathering. And went off from Springer...79 lbs. overweight...that's
without any pack.

While i don't agree with all of what someone in NC says...i heartily
agree with this: "If thru-hiking" (or in my estimation any long-distance
hiking) "isn't what you want to do more than anything else, find what
that anything else is...and go do that." That's what will make or break
your hike. My thru-hike became a section hike after 433 miles when it
was no longer what i wanted to do more than anything else. I'd lost 23
lbs. and had proved to myself that I could physically do this. I just no
longer cared to see more weeds, trees or rocks.

Fat people, short people, blind people, gimpy people and more can be
successful. It just has to be what you want to do more than anything
else. It's that simple.

Second Chance