Going to school

Here I sit in a hundred year old house in a rural Tennessee area having just completed Warren Doyle's Appalachian Folk School, my final preparation before setting out on this adventure called the Appalachian Trail- or AT for short.
The last 5 days I have received the benefit of Dr. Doyle's extensive experience hiking the AT and completed 3 practice hikes with fellow students. My reality has been thoroughly checked, shaken and rebuilt. Warren's often repeated phrase is "Hiking the AT is not fun. It is an education, it is a job but it is not fun."
A year ago I looked at my significant other (my husband of 25 years) and said, " Ya know, when we finish hiking the Camino we are going to need another goal to work towards...I know let's hike the Appalachian Trail! That'll be fun!"
It worked like a charm. We finished the Camino in October and stepped immediately into planning our next hike.
As our projected start date neared I had some lingering concerns; how did I know I could do something as challenging as the Appalachian Trail? What if I can't do this and I quit? How can I sleep in the woods knowing Yogi the Bear is waiting for me?
Snakes, injuries, cold, wet, discouragement, a heavy backpack, finding water... did I mention bears?
Enter the opportunity to learn firsthand from the Yoda of the Trail. That is why I am here and that is why I am more confident. It's going to be tough and some days miserable and definitely not fun. Its time to GetMoving! Bring it on!

Lee with fellow hikers Steve and Connie