One of my lowest moments of personal cleanliness, somewhere in Northern California on the PCT.
Yes, I’m going back for seconds. It’s hard to believe, and it was even my suggestion that we do the trail. The mental and physical scars have healed. I have digested all of the PCT to be hungry enough to do another one. I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I’m sure I’ll have many “what was I thinking” moments, but I’m ready for it. My challenge for the AT…how happy can I be? How much can I enjoy each moment in the present without moaning over the past decisions that got me to that point, and without pining for the future moments when I can satisfy my needs for comforts? How much can I enjoy the experience at hand without looking towards the end? How much can I live out the lessons that I preach so matter of factly in my book, which I wrote while being surrounded by creature comforts?
How do I go about doing that? First, a lighter pack. I refuse to carry beyond the bare necessities for me to be warm, dry and somewhat full of food. Matt and I packed our base packs yesterday, no food or water, and we’re at 31 pounds combined. That’s under 16 pounds a person. That’s about half of what I started the PCT with. That’s awesome. It looks like I have a backpack on, that’s how small and light my pack is. Just pack weight alone has to be a huge part of increasing my odds of making it to the end and helping me enjoy each step all the more than the one before.
What do I do next to be happy? It all depends on what happens once we start walking…