“There’s a mountain lion nearby, but it didn’t notice you because it’s reading Facebook.”
I admit that the internet, news, and political environment of the past 12 months have fueled a desire to just get away from it all. Sounds like a dream, right? To walk into the woods for a few months and finally get a reprieve from all the finger-pointing and name-calling that has destroyed the comforting social media bubble we spent years unknowingly inflating around ourselves …
This isn’t a political post though, just a reflection on what really matters. I’m the first to recognize the need for a laugh at my own expense, so thanks XKCD for pointing out the reality of such a silly fantasy.
This trek isn’t an escape, it isn’t a vacation. Although it is certainly will be a life-changing and priority-altering adventure into the wilderness, the real world doesn’t stop. So enjoy the (2189 mile) journey, stay focused on the (Mt. Katahdin) prize, and keep an eye out for (Facebook) stalking mountain lions. Hello Neiman!
Hello Neiman! 
I couldn’t agree more. See: Wet Willie’s song – “Keep on Smiling’. I A little more my vintage (1970’s) but I’ve found millennials are responsive to all good music, particularly classic rock.
2,190.9 miles in 2018 – http://www.rtkchallenge.com/2018/01/24/2190-9/
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Great tune indeed, thanks for sharing!
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Nothing wrong with an ‘escape’ from the relative everyday madness and social media frenzy that is so engulfing these days. That would be an experiment in itself. I know you want to do blog posts from the trail, so I can’t suggest you leave your phone at home. And then of course, you’d need a compass and some paper maps. And the phone does serve as your emergency communications medium. How the hell did people do this (the AT) twenty-five, thirty or fifty years ago anyway? You could do some social research, the personal type, to access your level of dependence upon the phone… social media… the technology… it’s addictive properties… yada, yada.
I think it would be interesting to limit your usage to a couple of blog posts a week, and a weekly call to those special few (family and friends). Spend your time focused on the trail and your immediate surroundings, the details -almost a meditation. Don’t just fly up and down the trail -destination to destination, 17-25 mi. per day, day after day. Rather, become one with the trail -seriously 😉 Hard to do with your favorite music blasting, your trail cadence staying in step with your fav tunes. But then, I’m old school. Yet, I know some who would never forsake their ear buds when hiking. Life can indeed get crazy on the trail, especially after weeks and months. I hope some friends/family pop in to visit for a few days here and there along the way. Cheers, Mike 😉
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