[at-l] on the most important gear....

[Freeborngirl at aol.com (Freeborngirl@xxxxxxx)]

hi all... ive read the postings on pain and mental preperations and the most 
important gear   and ive been trying to get it together what i desired to 
say... i plan on being in next years class!!!! and these by far have been what ive 
needed to read... i  was at the gathering   and i was in the hiking with 
disabilities presentation... it was probably one of the most important reasons i 
wanted to go.. ive been dealing with a long term chronic neurologic 
disability.... hiking   has been a salvation.... i remember when i was in nursing school 
in class they said look around.. one 1/4 of you will be gone at the end of 
this semester... i quaked in my shoes.. i didnt want to fail......not only did i 
make it but i graduated in the top 25% ..<not bragging either> i never 
expected that!.. .. i played around with embroidery and quilting..... i can remember 
my husband coming home from work one day and i was playing with some fabric 
squares and i said Im gonna make a quilt.......well not only did i make a quilt 
but i made one ....had   it in a juried show in Philadelphia and won many 
awards for my hand embroidery....
well i got hurt at work, certainly not what i expected and it was many years 
of surgery and recovery and medicine.. but i discovered walking.. walking 
turned into hiking....   i found the applachian trail.....and now ..after two 
consecuive years of 1100+   miles im going to attempt the trail.. this is all i 
sleep breathe dream talk and live for....i have read lots.... i drive my family 
absolutely crazy.. no one understands how me with my disability can even 
consider such an undertaking..... well im doing it... i hurt every day anyway.. and 
hiking sort of allows me to achieve nirvana .. i still hurt..... i have hiked 
in PA too..over all these lovely rocks in the rain and cold and wet and 
snow.... i have many concerns... but in my life i have come full circle with many 
things and learned many things and i am seeking many things on this journey... 
most importantly what i can find inside myself..... i have discovered many 
things   already..... ive achieved more than ive already imagined possible... and 
i feel at 38 this is a stepping stone in my life.... a huge one.... i met so 
many incredible people this year passing through port clinton and there abouts 
as i sectioned pa and love the hiking community.... how can i not do 
this...... i have family and friends behind me......heres to a dream.... and making it 
come true... and success and trudging onward...and heres to this list and all 
i get out of it....thanks for its presence... i look forward to it daily with 
my coffee... im just to slow to respond apparently in a timely fashion.... im 
busying myself with too much turkey and filling ... and trail 
preps.......getting my family ready for mail drops..... oh by the way... i have my ear 
cartledge pierced several times and my belly button.. an essential in my first aid 
kit is aspirin..... crush these and make a paste to place on a sore ear or 
belly!!.....and has anyone taken a digital camera on the long haul and downloaded 
their pics to a disc and sent this disc home and dealt with it when they 
returned????...and id love if santa sent me an ipod for the trip... like 5600 tunes 
for the trip but perhaps a luxury i cant even think about now... just 
dreaming about polypro and fleece...and how those quilting skills are gonna be coming 
in handy for several undertakings on this incredible journey... like i said 
full circle..... life is simply amazing... be well shine on!!!! beth....