Hello Internet!

Hi Everyone!

Adam and I have been talking about setting a blog up for some time now, but I’m glad Adam, the go-getter he is, actually started it. I wanted to introduce myself to those who may be reading this and don’t know who I am.  Adam and I go all the way back to the distant past of 2008 where we met through the mutual need of cheap rent in the ever-expensive town of Boston. Well, Cambridge to be exact. I remember hitting it off pretty quickly. When you have a lot of things in common, it’s not too hard.  While living together, we definitely collaborated on a lot of ideas, but Adam also introduced me to some new things that I hadn’t experienced much in the past. Chess, French Press Coffee, and the Flaming Lips are just a few things that come to mind. Another is hiking.

Yes, I admit it. I am not a seasoned hiker. I am still a newbie to the game.  I had camped in the past, but nothing more than a car camp. I had never backpacked. If you've ever read A Walk in the Woods, I was Katz, without the drug and weight problem. Fortunately for me I had a new roommate who was also an Eagle Scout. Adam introduced me to the world of hiking and took me on a couple trips. I have had the bug ever since. Hiking forums are now among my online bookmarks. I subscribe to Backpacker Magazine. I am excited to spend my Friday night at REI when I have all the time I want to ogle their beautiful hiking goods. While I am slightly more experienced than before, I am still no expert. (I can see the bets being made now on how long I last - put me down for $20 at 2 months!)

I have since relocated to Denver, Colorado (great hiking lies out here as well), but during our time living together, Adam and I had always talked about one day hiking the Appalachian Trail. It was a pipe dream, yeah, but we always had the lofty aspiration to actually get out there and do it. And with our shared philosophical views as well as a ”If not now, when?” mentality, I think it was only a matter of time before we decided to do this.

I don’t know if it was the thin air of the mile high city or Adam’s itch for something new, but we kept up conversation about the trail until one day, Adam decided he was going to do it. When he told me, I was happy for him, but didn’t know if I could join (as much as I desperately wanted to).

After some personal thought and soul searching, I realized that the path I hoped to take in life could accommodate an attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. But it was a small window and if it would ever happen, it would have to be now. If not now, when?

This was all about a year ago. We are now less than 2 months away from hitting the trail in Georgia and while I can’t wait to start, the anxiety of making sure I’m properly prepared is starting to set in. I just know I’ll be the first hiker in the history of the AT who forgot his tent. I know it.

So that is a little about me. Definitely excited. DEFINTELY NERVOUS. I’ll keep up with how my/our prep is going (I bought a couple pairs of hiking boots today! Yesss!) and any other thoughts or ramblings that may come to mind.

Thanks for reading!

-Frank