One Week to Go

Well, this is it. I have a week before I start the trail.

I have now added an orange box at the bottom of my blog. It is the count up timer for when my feet hit the dirt. It will start counting up the days I have been on the trail, on April 12. I had to put it at the bottom of the page, because the size of the timer is too big for the spot vacated by the countdown timer, and I can't adjust the size. I will be removing my countdown timer next Saturday, before we head out to the airport and ultimately the flight to San Diego. Just to warn you that there are certain things I can't do on the Ipad, seeing the timers and my Go Fund Me account on my blog are the two most important things. I will have to be at an actual computer to see these. That means, that when I get a donation, Lego will have to let me know, forward the emails to my Ipad, then I will be able to send a thank you.

 

I am just about ready, and have added a couple of new items that will be going with me. I finally broke down and ordered an umbrella from Gossamer Gear. I went round and round with this decision. I like the heat, but near Scissors Crossing in '13, it was so hot that I just wanted to sit under the no shade of a cactus and die there. If I had brought the Chrome Dome Umbrella, I would have been much cooler and would have hiked cheerfully through that desert. So, now I have it.

I have been looking all over the place for a new hiking shirt. I liked my old one, but it happens to be black. No good for the hot days. This may have been part of the reason I wanted to die under that cactus. My new shirt I found yesterday, is a Columbia sportswear shirt that is very light and has sun protection in the fabric. I found it at the Sportsman Warehouse. And the color is fun.


Then...

And Now!

I am also trying different picture effects on my Ipad. On the above picture I washed out all the color, then reapplied just the shirt color, and added some words. Neat, huh?

 

Bravery

"Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it." ~Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali Poet

Many times over the past few months, I have either been told how brave I am to be doing this trip solo, or being asked if I'm scared to hike solo.
 I don't feel particularly brave, so I guess the answer to the question would be, Yeah, I'm a little scared of this whole adventure.

But I have to look back into the past to see how far I've come on this bravery issue. In 1999, I would never have thought to do this by myself. As it was, I was so scared even with my husband, that I would leave each trail town so full of trepidation that I couldn't eat. Back then, my thoughts went to the musings that if Mark wasn't around anymore, I would have to give up my dream of the trail. There was no question of doing it alone.

In 2012, Mark wasn't sure if he wanted to retire yet, could I go by myself in 2013 if I needed to? I know I sure didn't want to, yet the more I thought about it, the more I thought it might be doable. And with a sigh of relief on my part, Mark decided to retire and go with me.

The question of going by myself has certainly developed a life of it's own, and it's a life I'm now looking forward to whole heartedly. Am I brave? I really don't see myself as that, but if the definition of bravery is being scared of something, yet doing it despite your fears, then yes, I probably am brave. And I think I will be able to eat before I leave town this time.