Last night, I Skyped with Nita, the girl I am hoping to start the trail with. Although we've chatted on Facebook quite a bit, it's the first time we've ever spoken or really seen each other. She seems really sweet! I even got the chance to introduce my biggest ball python, Athena, to one of her guinea pigs, Leslie (virtually, of course). That would probably end tragically for Leslie if they were ever to meet face to face. I'm glad we're both animal freaks. That will be helpful on the trail during wildlife encounters.
It was fun talking to Nita about gear, expectations, apprehensions, and random life stuff. She seems a lot like me when I was 25. She's quiet, doesn't drink, and wants to play by the rules. I definitely respect that. Some of her questions made me laugh. She asked if I liked nightclubs. (I don't.) Although a night club in a trail town could be pretty entertaining! A bunch of stinky hikers under strobe lights and thumping beats. Sadly, I'm not expecting we'll pass many. :-) Dive bars are DEFINITELY more my style. She also asked if I plan to hike naked on the summer solstice, which is traditionally "Hike Naked Day." That would be pretty out of character for me, but who knows?! When in Rome!
We ended up talking for an hour and a half. "Meeting" Nita has made me that much more excited to meet more fellow hikers and my new "trail family." I absolutely love meeting new people and finding out what makes them tick. There will be plenty of opportunities to do that along the trail. Just a few short months til I hit the road! I know they will fly by! Can't wait!
My name is Stacey and in 2014 I completed a 2,185.3 mile northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I made daily updates to this blog for the first 1,000 miles or so. Now my focus has shifted to reflecting on my time in the woods and sharing my knowledge with aspiring hikers. If there is anything in particular you'd like me to write about, please let me know! I'm always happy to share my experiences out on the trail.
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