[pct-l] the subjectiveness of a thru-hike

[tdilopct@yahoo.com (DiLorenzo Tony)]

Who cares what others think!!!  The hike is different
for every single hiker.  Someone may be out there
because they enjoy the outdoors, another may want to
achieve a specific goal, and yet others are there for
the Journey.  There was a poem I read months before my
hike and it still sticks with me today.

        It=92s the Journey, not the Destination
The Journey is about the experience.
It=92s not about achieving a summit, but rather
everything that goes on in you heart, body, and mind.
The Journey is about the whole experience.  The
Journey is the destination.  It teaches us, makes us
strong, and lets us touch enlightenment if even for a
moment.  The Journey gives us experiences that
penetrate the heart.

This poem stayed with me throughout my hike.  Even
when I hitched hiked 7 miles of trail down south.  Did
I hike the trail?  YES.  It's not about the trail but
the experiences we have along it.  It's those people
we meet and give hope to, the kids who wonder about
our trek and one day go out and hike the trail, and
what I gain from such an accomplishment.  My hike
redifined who I was and what I could do when I put my
whole mind and body to it.  Go out there and hike your
own hike.  Enjoy the Journey.

Tony DiLorenzo


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