I have to admit that I am nervous. Everyone keeps asking me what I have bought to prepare for the trail but that is the easy part. Buying "stuff" takes several trips to the sporting goods store. Overcoming my fears is what I have been focusing on. Bears, snakes, dangerous cliffs, lack of water, lack of food, and smelly armpits weigh heavily on my mind... especially the armpit thing. I mean, I am going out there to enjoy nature not to kill it.
Honestly, I do not think that what we are about to do has really sunk it. I often say that there will be days that will be miserable, wet, and unfulfilling but I am not sure that I really understand what that means. However, I also think that not knowing exactly what we are in for is part of the excitment of the trip. This is something that I will probably never have the opportunity to do again. It is also a dream that I thought would never materialize. Hiking the Appalachian trail. No, HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL!!! As I write this we only have 36 days before we leave. I do not think they can go fast enough.
There are other reasons to be excited of course. Gerard and I have not spent more than three weeks together at one time since I left London in 1998. Now we will have three months together. Three months without having to hear the dreaded marriage question from just about everyone. Three months to just enjoy being together and facing challenges. Three months together to see if we will ever get on each other's nerves. Believe me, I will love every minute of it-- even the getting on each other's nerves part.
I don't know how far we will make it. We are guessing that we will go about 1,000 miles. I wish we could finish it but the laws will not allow him to stay in the country any longer than that. Maybe finishing it will be our next challenge. First we'll see if make it through this one.