Top 10 reasons to thru-hike

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#1

Hi all, I have a request. I have been planning (a.k.a. dreaming of) a thru-hike of either the AT or the PCT for years now. This summer I hiked the JMT in (mental) prep for a longer hike. Recently I have found myself involved with someone who I am head over heels for. He would like to share these adventures with me. That is absolutely amazing, and I feel blessed beyond belief.

Unfortunately, both of us have been hesitant, mostly due to fear of losing good jobs, and the pressure to choose the perfect adventure (and there are SO many options).

I think I have finally hit the breaking point, and can see clearly that the time to go is NOW. I’ve put together a top 10 list, in the hope of convincing my beau.

Any comments/additions/suggestions?
Thanks!
Sophie

The top ten reasons to leave in order to thru-hike this spring…

  1. We have the money.

  2. The timing is as perfect as it will ever be. Our contracts expire on the same day, neither of us are attached to our jobs, and both of us are free of attachments.

  3. There will still be lots of opportunities for us when we get back. Life will go on when we leave, and our lives will go on too, but we won’t be able to see step two clearly until we’ve leapt into step one.

  4. Since everything we do lately is trouble anyway, why not jump into some serious trouble with both feet?

  5. Neither of us are truly satisfied with our jobs. We’re making sacrifices to our happiness without knowing what we’re sacrificing for.

  6. Therefore, we’re actually not sacrificing, but are acting out of fear.

  7. Together, we have a chance to create the life we’ve imagined: the life we’re meant to live.

  8. Other people’s opinions don’t matter all that much…

  9. But even so, lots of our friends will be rooting for us, secretly or otherwise.

And the number one reason to leave for a grand adventure is…

  1. With each year we age, it’s going to get harder.

Sophie

#2

When you look back on your life, will you regret more that you did it, or that you didn’t?

I have yet to meet a thruhiker who was sorry he/she hiked the trail. It may have changed their lives in ways unimaginable, but none that I know regretted their hike.

Ginny

#3

Hi…what a nice thing to have met someone who’s sharing your dreams! Something to truly be thankful for on this T.day! I hope you two do go for it! Altho I do want you to go; a few thoughts for you to consider.

  1. Remember that you are “preaching to the choir” by going on here & asking our thoughts. Not a lot of folks on a hiking forum are going to say “don’t go”! LOL!

  2. Although you don’t say it, (so I may be wrong), you sound as if you & your signif. other are kind of newly involved, meaning ~2 yrs, tho again I may be wrong. The trail will help you to find out things about each other that will either help cement you together or break you up. Not a bad way to learn I think & esp if you’re young & relatively unencumbered. (tho there’s a guy who always writes in here about how things are diff when you have “Mortgages & Babies”!)

  3. You started out by saying that your jobs are “good”; but then later they don’t sound so good in your description. I’m not sure about what you’ll miss.

  4. Does he feel the same level of commitment to this that you do?

  5. If you have the money now; but are still scared about going, would it help your fears to have a small fund set aside for when you come back, so that you have say 3-4 mo.s of living expenses all set up.

6forget about choosing the “perfect” place to go, & focus on choosing an “excellent” Way to be…& an “excellent” place to go.

  1. good luck to both of you with your decision!

Leah

#4

10 ) You will be happier waking in your lovers arms in the woods knowing you will be walking, instead of driving to ‘work’

  1. That youthful appearance you’ve both been missing. It’ll come back.

  2. Facial muscles will increase in size from all the smiling and laughing you will do.

  3. You will meet as great a cross culture of people hiking then you will by traveling almost to anywhere else.

  4. You will really appreciate little things more, especially showers.

  5. You will learn things about each other you never knew, no matter how long you have been together…sometimes this is good sometimes not as good.

  6. AYCE buffets wont affect your waistline in a negative manner

  7. Walking, talking and living in nature for months on end, with the weekly townstop, will give you piece of mind you probably have forgotten even exists

  8. Dumb job and dumber friends will be there when you get back, doing the sme dumb things.

  9. and the number one reason to hike the AT…Free Cheese…oh wait no, thats not it…ummm…the healing is beyond words.

Good luck and stop wasting time and go.

:boy

Lion King

#5

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do rather than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ sometimes attributed to Mark Twain.

GO FOR IT!

nuff said. :slight_smile:

trailangel