Leisure Time

I have a good friend who lives in Southern Vermont, and my dad decided to take a somewhat spontaneous trip (those who know him shouldn't be surprised) to come visit me in Massachusetts, where a couple of very hospitable friends of his took the pair of us in. It was unfortunate that my two holidays were back to back, and I've only averaged like 5 miles a day over the last 2 weeks, which includes 8 nonconsecutive zero days. This has helped reinforce the idea that this is not a race, and the people I was hiking with are now several days ahead of me and I likely won't see them again. It's also renewed my liking of the trail, and I've been better at stopping at the viewpoints and sidetrails, which I was starting to skip more and more as the terrain has gotten easier and will continue to for the next few states. Maine and New Hampshire, while only 20% of the mileage of the A.T., are 80% of the overall elevation change. So it's flater, although still not a walk in the park. Well, sometimes it is literally a walk in the park, as the trail often cuts through parks, but that's besides the point.

Yesterday I crossed the border from Vermont to Massachusetts. 3 States down, 11 to go.
It's not a race. And I was undeniably more comfortable with my dad here with a car and these fancy roofs and porcelain toliets. But now, to get to my dad's house by Thanksgiving, I have to average 15 miles a day. Before he decided to visit it was 13 miles a day. For 4 months. And if I hike 15 miles a day, and then take a day off every four days, it will take me 5 months. But again this is the thinking that leads me to higher mileage days and I miss figureatively and literally stopping and smelling the flowers. If I was in that big of a hurry, I'd just fly to Georgia. This experience isn't about the destination. The difference between "traveling" and "commuting" is if you want to be on the move, or if you're just trying to get to your destination. I'm traveling along this trail, not commuting.