I have been doing a bit of digital prep today. Basically, I have been letting the hordes of fans that I have on my several thousand other blogs (you can stop laughing now) know that once I am on the trail, my blog presence will be mostly here. If anyone is bored, and maybe actually wants some more insight into what this trip is all about for me, feel free to visit these posts/blogs:
- A Fresh Canvas — where I describe in detail the ultimate WHY of this trip.
- Going on a stroll … — a little gratuitous self promotion (like this) in an attempt to get more people along for the ride.
- Peace Child — a last ditch attempt to save the world before I explore it.
For the geeks among us, I have also added a plugin that should make any pictures I share here nice and albumized (is that a word?).
Now that I am done trying to make myself look good again, I wanted to say thank you … while I am thinking of it. Just in case I neglect to do it later, I want to be sure that EVERYONE involved in this endeavor truly understands how much I appreciate them. First and foremost of course I want to thank THE Idiot, our friend Mark, for creating this adventure in the first place. As far as I am concerned, you are still coming along, and I will be thinking of you the whole trip … especially when I am wondering why the hell I am torturing myself in such a way. Which reminds me, I need to get some skittles! I want to thank those of you who have made charity donations; those who have given moral support from the beginning (in many cases the same people); those who have offered advice; those who have helped with the preparations (whether financially or otherwise) — even if blood relations guilted you into it. And I want to thank of course my newest partner in crime Maytag … for jumping aboard, being VERY enthusiastic about it, and keeping me on my toes as we prepare.
Even though the fundamental nature of the hike has shifted form (several times), I still view it as a group effort. I still have dreams of making this charitably profitable. I still hope to join people from the blogging (and social networking) world on or off the trail, even if just for an hour or two. Contributions of any sort are still welcome (care packages are always a good idea haha), and will be throughout the hike. In a way, this is more than just a hike, this is an experiment in the power of digital friendship. I am considering the idea of dedicating each week to a specific charity, where maybe others can raise pledges based on the distance travelled for that week. If anyone likes this idea, and/or has a specific charity/cause that they are passionate about … let me know. Spread the word. I also welcome suggestions on other ways this can become more of a group event. The very thought energizes me and I suspect it will help motivate on those days when the muscles are screaming or the weather is drenching or the insects are swarming.
OK that is enough gushing for today. I still have some fine tuning to do on packing and such. I probably will till the moment we leave. Catch you all again soon!
