Katahdin

Katahdin is the end of the trail, but not the goal of the trail. You can go no further than Katahdin, but that does not mean you should go to Katahdin. I think the important lesson of the trail is living in the moment. You are walking all day. If you start to think about getting to the next shelter or town, you will be miserable. If you live in the moment (rain, sun, or snow), you will be happy. This is a lesson that you can take off the trail with you. This was always my main reason for wanting to be on the trail.

I felt a lot of anxiety before I started thinking about whether I could make Katahdin or not. Katahdin was so incredibly far that it was very hard to think about. I always knew that I was not going on the trail to get to Katahdin, but I still felt that expectation. I thought that people would think I failed if I did not make it to the end even if that was not my reason for being on the trail.

I no longer have that anxiety. I know that I can physically complete the trail now even though I'm only about one sixth of the way through. I'm feeling really good both physically and spiritually. I also know that a wrong step could end the jouney in an instant. However, what is more important is knowing when to get off the trail. There is a natural end point for just about everyone who starts. Few could continue to walk forever without stopping.

I don't know when my natural end point will come. It would be nice if that end point came just about the time I reached Katahdin. I would love to see the entire trail. However, if it comes sooner, I will live with that.

As I said above, I'm feeling really good right now, and I'm living in the moment. I have no idea what the next moment will bring. This is especially true on the trail. Things change so fast. The weather changes, you meet people, you can get hurt, you never know what's around the corner. That's what makes the entire trail experience so incredibly cool.