So Much Has Happened

Reaching the top of John Rock in Pisgah National Forest in Bervard, NC

 

 

Hello everyone!! It has been a little while since I’ve last posted on here. I do apologize for not doing so. But, let’s face it, LIFE happens.

It has been a pretty crazy few months. Since I’d announced that I was going to thru hike the AT, I decided that I really needed to kick my ways up a notch. I was planning to hike the AT, which consists of various kinds of terrain. I was living in the Lowcountry, where everything is flat. It was also about 5 hours South of the nearest mountain ranges. How in the world was I going to train and prepare if I would have to travel about 5 hours North to then only spend only two days and one night hiking and camping? Take note that I was working a full time job and I wasn’t able to take a week or even two days off. Especially if I was trying to save money for this great adventure. I was beginning to become dissatisfied with this thought.

In the meantime, to begin training on a daily basis, minus having mountains, I decided to begin CrossFitting. I knew a plethora of people I worked with that did CrossFit. It was what I would need. For a little while, instead of searching for gear, I was wrapped up in CrossFit. Trying to learn their ways and to perfect techniques. I do enjoy it a lot.

Somewhere in between CrossFitting and trying to search for my happy place, I was encouraged to start sending my resume out to places in Greenville, SC. I knew I wanted to be closer to the mountains to be able to have the leisure of going hiking every weekend if I wanted. So, I awaited anxiously, hoping to receive a call from one of the schools I had applied to. A week after sending out my resume, I received two phone calls. The following week I had gone up to interview. About a week later, got offered a job. Two to three weeks later I moved to Greenville, SC. I am happy where I have gotten to.

Before I left the Lowcountry, I met with the man that inspired this whole thought of hiking the AT. We conversed over lunch— It was good to see him.— One of the topics we touched was about when I was going to venture off to the AT. Initially, I had decided to wait until March 2015. “Why wait?” He asked. He listed a few reasons onto why I shouldn’t wait. I pondered on thought of between the next year and a half being discouraged and caught up in other things and having the AT be the last thing on my mind. I don’t want that to happen. The following day, I told him, via text message, “MARCH 2014.” I’m pretty sure he was happy I wasn’t going to be waiting 2 years to thru-hike.

One thing is to say that you are going to do something, and the other, to actually go out of your way to get to where you want to be to accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself. I used to say I was going to do things and when it came down to it, I was nowhere to be seen. I am glad that I’ve become motivated enough to go for what I want.

Thus far, I’ve been in Greenville for a week and some change. Since this past weekend, I’ve had inflammation in my right foot. Walking with my right foot has become difficult. Hiking and doing a few of the CrossFit moves has been put off to the side. I have been told to ice it and baby my foot. I am not too happy about this. This was supposed to be the time for me to get a lot of hiking in. Now, the time I am able to take the weight off of my foot, I happily take it.  I do have to stay positive. By God’s Grace, I will be better in a couple of weeks.

 

Until next time,

The Nameless Traveler