So I am almost within two weeks of my departure for the trail (15 days 19 hours and 17 minutes to be exact, but who’s counting). I will be on the trail the morning of the 24th of March. I am remaining calm but there is an ever present current of anticipation running through me. I am at about the same state of business I have been for the past two months so it isn’t too overwhelming and I can prepare for my hike pretty leisurely.
I was nominated as a Peace Corps volunteer last week and it appears that I will be doing forestry work in Africa starting this fall after my hike. I am really stoked about that. 2008 is shaping up to be an amazing year. I am just waiting on my medical evaluation to get a country assignment.
I am also getting the opportunity to do something good with my thru-hike. My friend Dan’s father developed a hereditary degenerative brain disease in the late nineties called Metachromatic Leukodystrophy. It is terrible affliction resulting in paralysis, blindness, seizures and eventualy death. Dan asked me if I would be willing to use my hike as means of spreading the word about the disease and fundraising for research. I jumped at the opportunity to take one of my dreams and use it benefit other people. We are setting up a website at www.AT4MLD.org so please swing by and check it out. There is some information on there and some contact info if you want to get involved.
I have all my gear set and my pack down 15.6 pounds before food and water. I have purchased almost all my food for the first 6 days and have it repackaged. I am moving my stuff out of my house on the 16th. My last day of work is the 19th and I have my travel plans squared away. My dream is about to come true. I am doing what I said I would. I might get another entry in before I hit the trail, I might not. It doesn’t matter. I am really excited to meet the other hikers whose journals I have been reading and the ones I haven’t. This is gonna be great. See you on the trail. Feel free to sign my guest book, I like hearing from people.
