Thoughts from the trail

Virginia 

As I walked today I am reminded of the Disney movie ( I believe it may have been Fantasia) where the trees move sideways. I believe they did it by painting forest scenes on glass plates then moving them past each other at different rates.
It is so nice today that I can’t decide whether I want to just sit and enjoy the morning or walk because it’s cool as I’m sure it will get warm later. Oh the problems I have as far as decisions on the trail!

Things that I have heard on the trail.

The hardest part of the trail is the isolation, being alone. (Total bullshit to me).

The trail makes the women more beautiful and the men thinner. (Totally true to me).

The last one to Katahdin is the winner. 

The Trail will provide.

Two questions:

1. What what do you do when you come to a fork in the middle of the road?

2. What do you do when you come to a privy all by itself along the side of the Trail?


Answers will be given at the end of this Blog.

Why are we here?

The overriding question for everyone on the trail: why am I doing this? Why leave family and friends to walk 2000 miles to some mountain in Maine? Why do so many people who have finished this quest in past years continue to return for magic, open a Hostel, or jusy hang around hiker trash?

Is it a goal? something to complete? Is it something they want to do to be say that they have accomplished this 2000 mile trek?  I believe for most of it is it is a searching within ourselves to find that within us that we feel we are missing.  Something calls us to this trail and it it will reveal itself, I believe, somewhere along the Trail. All the great books, all the great adventure stories, have a central theme of starting out not knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing. Going through a lot of adversity to find some sort of a truth.  Books from the Odyssey to the movies like Star Wars even  Forest Gump follow this theme. 

So in my opinion we’re all on this same quest, this same track, this searching for something we cannot define. So here I am, I cannot believe that there is any thing for me right now that could be any more meaningful than doing what I am doing.  Being by myself enjoying all that I experence.  For most of it is it is a searching within ourselves to find that within us that we feel is missing.   Something calls us to this trail and it it will reveal itself, I believe, somewhere along this trek.  I believe we walk to figure out something about ourselves.  As we hike we are certainly given ample time to contemplate such questions. 

Even before beginning to have conscious thoughts about doing the Trail, the Trail was calling me.   Perhaps what I am trying to convey is that we do not get to decide what the outcome will be.   Not the outcome of what we will learn about ourselves,  not even for sure to know why we are doing this.  I believe that the Trail reveals to us what it will on its own time. 

As I reread what I have just written I laugh at myself, for using so many words to simply say, get out of the way and let happen what will happen and to be open to what will be revealed. 

Much love to all from me and the Trail. 

Answers:

1.  Pick it up 

2.  Sit down in it for 5 minutes 

 

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