Well, it\u2019s hard to believe but in around three months I\u2019ll be on the trail. Everything is pretty much all set, and all I\u2019m waiting on is my Tarp from Outdoor Equipment Supplier, which should be coming in sometime next week. It\u2019s going to be a really busy next few months. Next week starts the final quarter of graduate school, and it\u2019s going to be a stressful time finishing up coursework, putting the final touches on my thesis, and defending said thesis. Realizing that the next few months were going to be tough, and since this past week was spring break, I took the time to get some non-school related stuff done so I can focus entirely on school and finish my degree in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Basically I cleaned house, which included selling, giving away and throwing away everything non-essential. Looking at my room now, I\u2019m surprised at how little I actually own. It is better\u00a0this way. I will only have one or two boxes to ship when moving, which won\u2019t cost much and I won\u2019t have to fuss over having a whole bunch of crap to deal with. I also mailed in my reservation request to Katahdin Stream Campground. If I get my reservations (which I think I will, since there was a ton of availability), my dad and I are going to head up to Baxter State park July 5th. We\u2019ll stay the night at KS CG and hike up Katahdin the following day, and camp out at the same place the second night. From there, my dad and I will say our farewells and I\u2019ll start my journey Southward through the 100 mile wilderness. I plan on taking 10 days of food, since that is what is recommended, and will have my first resupply in Monson. I don\u2019t know exactly how long it will take me to hike the 100 mile wilderness, so I\u2019ll probably just gauge on how I feel and take it slow. And after Monson\u2026.well, I suppose I\u2019ll figure it out as I go along!<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t plan on doing any food drops, but I will have supplies at home mostly including back-up gear and additional shoes, which I\u2019ll coordinate with my parents to ship out on an as-needed basis. I thank them so much for being so supportive! I also am thankful for my wonderful girlfriend, Carolyn. Even though she may not understand my reasons for setting out on this adventure, she realizes that hiking the AT is very important to me and respects my choice. I couldn\u2019t ask for anyone more supportive!<\/p>\n
As my time here in Seattle is coming to a close, I feel very anxious about the change that will occur in my life. Going from living in a dense city for 2 years to the complete opposite will probably be quite a shock at first, but I can\u2019t wait to hear the birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees, and leaving the loud noises of buses and cars far behind me.<\/p>\n
I think I have done all I can at this point to prepare for the hike. My gear is all set, transportation is all set, and my savings and funds for the trip are all set. I need to finally finish school, be done with it, and move on with my life!<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well, it\u2019s hard to believe but in around three months I\u2019ll be on the trail. Everything is pretty much all set, and all I\u2019m waiting on is my Tarp from Outdoor Equipment Supplier, which should be coming in sometime next week. It\u2019s going to be a really busy next few months. Next week starts the 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