Crunch Time and Hiking List of Quotes

Monday meant crunch time for me. My husband is booked to have dinner with the almighty Alabama football coach, Nick Saban (don’t ask..), and I am now leaving a day earlier. That one day rushed me into a whirlwind. This week has consisted of letting myself get to the point of starving Marvin status before shopping for mail drops so I can have the true hiker hunger cravings mentality while selecting trail food, saying goodbye to my family and friends, trying to put on as much weight as possible, and last minute gear changes.

Preparing mail drops was an overwelming task for me. I can’t predict how much I am going to eat during the early days. I once made it a rule to never go to the grocery store hungry, but in this case, I made an exception. I figured a bunch of random things bought out if hunger could definitely help me. I’m not sure if I over or under packed my boxes.  I just laid everything out on the floor and started going crazy. This will either help me or hurt me. At least I have variety!

Hmm…. 6 days of food or 16?

Monday night was my “goodbye” at work. I have made many great friends and value them. Everyone has their own little way of being supportive.

They were there for beer, not me… 🙂

We laminated a map of the whole A.T., so my progress will be displayed at my bar. People look a little terrified when they see the entire map!

With one week out, I found myself freaking out about gear. A quick shoe and rain gear switch up changed that. I’ve always been a Salomon fan, so I ended up with some Ellipse kicks that I got with a great REI deal (thank you, for the members 20% off). I used to make fun of ponchos, but now I am the proud owner of a Sea to Summit tarp poncho. It just made more sense for me to be able to cover everything with one quick motion. I have a feeling I will be happy with these purchases!

Now, I have a confession. I haven’t exactly made a “why I’m hiking” list. I have many personal reasons and many reasons that are obvious. The very first time someone asked me why, I responded with, “Because once upon a time, I saw a trail and it was love at first sight”… This has always been the most obvious reason, and stands true to this day. I’ve decided my “why I’m hiking” list will be left with quotes… some serious and some cheesey. So, with only about 62 hours left until I start my hike of a life time, here is my list, finally:

• “Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” -William Wallace
• “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” -Dr. Seuss
• “We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down.” -Robert Sweet gall
• “Climbing is as close as we come to flying.” -Margaret Young
• “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” -T.S. Elliot
• “Me think the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” -Henry David Thoreau
• “I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” -G.M. Trevelyan
• “It’s not the mountain we conquer,  but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary
• “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” -Steven Wright
• “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” -Ram Dass
• “Mountains are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” -Anatoli Bookreev
• “If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney
• “Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.” -Simone de Beaudoin
• “You might be poor on money, but rich on life.” -Kesper Raunholst
• “Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world, we can’t expect them to help protect and care for it.” -David Suzuki
• “Sometimes, only a walk in the woods can get rid of your inner demons.” -Me!