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Finally go time!
I have a curling tournament (Bonspiel) today and tomorrow. A send-off party with my family tomorrow night. Then at 10 minutes before five on Sunday morning, I along with two exceptional people (they call themselves “Enablers”) will be heading to Georgia. Beginning what I believe will be an experience of a lifetime.
I have packed and repacked my pack many times and now have decided for the last time before leaving. Right now it stands right at 30 lbs. It makes me wonder what I have forgotten or even more important what I am taking that I really don’t need.
Saying Goodbye
We all have circles of people in our lives. Our family, friends, church family, my AA family, people we interact with on a daily or weekly basis. One of the things I did not think of when I decided to take this trek was how much I will be missing all these people. We, humans, are social beings, we have a deep need to be with and interact with other humans. It seems somewhat strange to me that although I am doing this trek to have some alone time, I will also be missing the time with others. In the end, I hope this adventure will add another circle of people to my life.
My Goals
Of course, I want to accomplish what I am setting out to do, a thru-hike but more than that, to learn what seems to be calling me to do this? In some ways, it seems silly but I hope to find me, Egon. I have not felt the same peace in my life recently that I have had in the past. I am hoping that the simple life of the trail will bring a measure of peace back into my life. Sometimes it seems life is going so fast and is throwing one thing after another at me. It will be good to experience what I hope will be a certain calmness for a time. I think that sometimes I get caught up in things, if you saw my garage and basement you would understand what I mean, I have stuff! Living with what I can carry on my back will give me, I hope, a realization that what is important in life is not stuff but rather all the other things. A smile from a friend, a peaceful sunrise or sunset, the call of a bird, a hug from a friend, a path stretching out before me…
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Comments 3
Well so far you are the only thru hiker ive decided to follow this season. No bravado, no lengthy bio, you seem legit. Youtube channel?
Semper fi shipmate
Egon,
You have six years on this old Army helicopter jockey. I’m restarting from Springer on Monday.
Blessings on your way,
Steve / pearwood
Egon: My friend, you are about to embark on a marvelous experience. I did my hike much younger than you (65), and loved every bit of it. I fully appreciate your time away from friends & family, but there is a large, wonderful community of backpackers just waiting to engage with you. I can say with complete accuracy that I have met & continue to hike with a few of the people I met along the way. It’s never to late to make new lifetime friends! You will earn every mile of your hike, but in the end, it won’t be the miles or the views that make you smile, but rather the people & experiences you share!