[pct-l] BOUNCE pct-l@backcountry.net: Non-member submission from [Virginia Owen <Owen@dc.ametsoc.org>] (fwd)

[Craig Giffen <craig@newestindustry.com>]

>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 09:01:34 -0500 (CDT)
>From: owner-pct-l@backcountry.net
>To: owner-pct-l@backcountry.net
>Subject: BOUNCE pct-l@backcountry.net:    Non-member submission from
[Virginia
>    Owen <Owen@dc.ametsoc.org>]   
>From: Virginia Owen <Owen@dc.ametsoc.org>
>Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: [pct-l] leaving soon, mailing white gas, list
>  suggestion]
>In-Reply-To: <37147E3B.3518@ibm.net>
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>R.J. Baynum
>>
>>Hi, I was wondering, how can some people take off, and just do the
>>trail? What do you do for a living? Wow, I wish I could just take off
>>and do the whole trail like that. Money is the key thing here, or is
>>everyone just "indecently Wealthy"?
>>Thanks for any  enlightenment!
>>R.J. Baynum 
>>
>
>Assuming this isn't a troll - I'll give my answer. No, we aren't indecently
>(or even decently) wealthy.  We just decided several years ago that doing
>another thruhike was a priority in our lives. Everything has been geared
>toward preparing for and saving money for the hike.  We decided to forgo
>the new car, furniture, fancy clothes, movies, etc. in order to save.
>After my first thruhike, ten years ago, I knew that I would rather do long
>distance hikes than have a career - so I've taken jobs that were easy to
>leave. As a secretary, I don't make much, but it is enough to be able to
>save, if I choose to. I do.  I've done two thruhikes on a clerical salary.
>My husband has had a career, but after 30 years of playing the same old
>games, he is choosing to leave that career and start anew.  A lot of long
>distance hikers are people at transition points in their lives anyway -
>just out of college or the military, just retired, recently divorced,
>whatever - but an increasing  number are working people who want more for
>their lives than just living from paycheck to paycheck. They have a dream
>of a long distance hike (or perhaps memories of an earlier hike), they look
>at the fact that security is, for most people, an illusion, and they decide
>to do the hike now, rather than wait 20 years in the hope that they will
>still have the resources and health to be able to live their dream when
>they retire.  
>
>It is a question of priorities. If the hike is your highest priority, you
>can find the means to do it, if you choose to.  If a career is most
>important, or putting money in the stock market, or buying a nice house in
>the suburbs, than your hike will have to wait.  You choose your path in
>life.  We choose to do long distance hiking, as long as our health will
>allow. When we can't walk any more, then maybe we'll buy the house and the
>car - or maybe we'll take up bicycling, traveling around the world, or
>wheelchair racing.
>
>I have known people who wanted to spend a few years traveling around the
>world. They set the goal: work for five years in order to save enough to
>travel for 2. It works. If you really have a goal, and not just a wish for
>"someday" you can do anything you set your mind to, but the price is more
>than most are willing to pay.
>
>Ginny
>
>
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