Dear future self,

Actually, I *have* gotten a start on this list item. Mom and I have
plans to go on part of the Appalachian trail in June of 2007.
We’ve talked about this since we both read Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the
Woods and were kinda charmed by it.
We’ve gone hiking before, and while I ate everything I could put my
hands on then (I was in 2nd grade or something) I had a blast, and I think I might even
have more fun this time.

love,
present self, fredlet

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: fredlet – 43 Things
Date: Nov 22, 2006 7:18 AM
Subject: walk (a part) of the Appalachian Trail
To: fredlet

Dear future self,

I’m reminding you about your stated goal on 43 things, to
“walk (a part) of the Appalachian Trail”.

How’s it going?

Sincerely,
Your past self

Every time I listen to (or read) Bill Bryson’s book about the Appalachian Trail, A Walk in the Woods, I get the strange idea of walking some of it.
It isn’t really about being with nature or all the walking… or even about a challenge. I think I’m more excited about all that self sufficiency and, to a lesser extent about all that luscious camping equipment.
And although a city dweller friend of mine mentioned off-handedly that he was ‘rusticating’ and that camping with me held some appeal… I think that the Appalachian Trail would be slightly beyond the pale of his camping limits.
And just for the record, Bill Bryson when he discussed the… erm… more daunting sections of the trail and said (and I’m paraphrasing here) ‘If Daniel Boone, who wrestled bears and then dated their sisters, was afraid of (this bit of wilderness) then I should be, too’ I fall in love with this book all over again.

A Walk in the Woods “Not long after I moved with my family to a small town in New Hampshire, I happened upon a path…”