NOBO? No! SOBO!

The Bump in the Road

I’ve been working, a lot. On my way home from work two weeks ago (after a real crap shift) my clutch went out on my Subaru. Sad news bears. Well, I’ve been hiding away as much money as possible, and on track to have what I needed to start North Bound in March. However, this repair took away a VERY hefty chunk of my savings and puts me in a situation that I cannot recover fully by March. Let’s be real, I cried. I was so upset. Why was this happening to me? I didn’t want this to end my dreams for thru-hiking this year.

New Game Plan

After Gordon and I talked over many different alternate plans, we came up with what I think is better than the original. We are going to wait until mid-July and hike South Bound. This is going to work much better in many ways. First, and currently most important, is waiting until July will allow me to make up for the lost money on the car repair and set aside more money than originally planned. Second, we get to “hike home!” We live in North Carolina and are a 4 1/2 hour drive from Springer, it’ll be a lot easier to get home than it would be from Maine. More thoughts on this in a later post….

Rolling with the Punches

I’ve been learning how to be flexible and to just roll with the punches. Life throws things at you, just go with it. Don’t be mad or sad, take what’s been given to you and make the best of it. Can’t wait to see what is thrown at me on the AT!

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Comments 6

  • Amanda C. : Dec 3rd

    What a terrific attitude!! I’m sure it will stand you in good stead on your SOBO journey. Best of luck – hope to hear more from you along the way!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Bush : Dec 3rd

      Thank you Amanda! It’s been a hard lesson to learn… Can’t wait to start our journey and to share with everyone !

      Reply
  • Alyssa J : Dec 3rd

    Sounds like a great plan! I, too, am a Charlottean heading out on the trail in July (but only for about a month unfortunately). If you ever want a hike buddy for local training outings, get in touch! 🙂
    -Alyssa

    Reply
    • Stephanie Bush : Dec 3rd

      Alyssa- Friend me on FB, I’d love to meet up for hiking fun!!! And talk about your hike too 🙂

      Reply
  • Beth : Dec 4th

    This is the kind of thinking that will serve u well- keep it up!

    Reply
  • Meredith Witherell : Dec 5th

    I had to switch my plans due to a surprise expense, too. I am considering either a SOBO or a flip-flop. I haven’t decided which.

    Reply

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