When things get difficult I tend to give up. Well, not this time folks. These past few months have been challenging for me. Nothing earth shattering or life threatening, just things happening that had me down in the dumps.
Hiking for me has always been a way for me to get away from it all. The woods are place of peace and calm. My soul just soaks it up. Unfortunately, the last time I went on a serious hike, it wasn’t a completely enjoyable experience. I don’t want to relive it, so I won’t write about it. Let’s just say that it didn’t go as planned and I felt like a failure and a phony. It took me a little while to get over that, but I did. We all have experiences that don’t go the way we think they should. I learned from it, I learned A LOT from it.
On top of that, my health hasn’t been cooperating. I seem to have acquired GERD –
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
It is crazy how something like “acid reflux” can make it difficult to just walk down the driveway or across the street – there’s no way I was hiking out in the woods! The pressure and pain in my chest was scary until I had a doctor confirm it wasn’t my heart. Now the doctor is trying to find a solution to make me more comfortable so when I am active I don’t feel like I’m having a heart attack. Needless to say, I have been a little depressed and disappointed that I haven’t felt well enough to train for my adventure.
Well, since I am unable to physically train, I have been researching light-weight and ultra-light-weight gear. This is one way of many to help me guarantee success on my Appalachian Trail hike – keep my pack weight LOW! There are many websites that offer advice on light weight gear, I’ve tried to read them all. My pack is about 30 pounds with food and water, so I hope to be able to get down to about 15 pounds. With a little money and not a lot of sacrifice! We shall see.
Thanks for sticking with me! Even when the going gets tough, the tough keep going!
Onward!
trailchaser2020 