A Goal to get out of bed for. A.T.

 For the last 7 years I have been looking for a reason to get out of bed each morning. Some reason to make me want to push myself. During a short visit to Florida for Thanksgiving last month I had an epiphany,

Hike the Appalachian Trial.

   I was 12 years old in 1976 when  my family took a trip from Forest Mississippi to Washington DC for the bicentennial. Never mind we went in spring before celebration was ready. One of the lasting  memories of  that trip was hearing about Thru-hikers walking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. I knew that hiking to Maine would sure beat riding back to Mississippi in the backseat of our 1966 Ford LTD choking, on Dad's tobacco smoke. Being 12  in 1976, I rode back to Mississippi on the  laying on luggage tray above the back seat. Seat belt? what? we don't need on stinking seat belts.

 Well almost 35 years later hiking the A.T. seems a heck of a lot better than spending another year in Cheyenne. I need something bigger than myself to get out of bed in the morning. The A.T. is a mission, totally voluntary, difficult, with success not assured by any means. Only by one's wits, will power, strength and favorable weather can success be had. The  A.T, is my reason to go to the gym, eat right, manage money better and study. Basically the things I should be doing any way.  

  I was born in Atlanta GA March 18 1964, March 18 2011 I plan on being at Springer Mt GA to start the next journey of my life. It will be hard, cold, wet, hot, steamy, mostly up hill for 2175 miles. I would rather take on this challenge than spend another day here in Cheyenne Wy wondering what to do with the rest of my life.

With apologies to a young man from Massachusetts...

I choose to go to Katahdin in this next year, not because it is easy, but it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of my energies and skills, because that challenge is one that I am willing to accept, an am unwilling to postpone, and one which I intend to win.
GR