First thing: The link http://www.flickr.com/photos/22604179@N06/sets/72157616379368219/show/ should get you to a cool slideshow of my pictures. All the pictures are up to date and the most recent pictures are first shown.
I’m 75% done with the AT and the idea of there being an end is becoming more real every day. When I was a 1950-mile or 1236-mile hike from Katahdin, it was difficult to comprehend there being a finish line; rather, I knew my world would be this white blazed trail until September or even October. Yesterday was my four-month anniversary since my start date, I’m a third of the way through Vermont. The end is coming.
My biggest dream last year and since I was in high school was to thru-hike the AT. That was it. The AT was the pinnacle, the ultimate experience, the 'if I could do anything' dream. Now there is still 538 miles to go; the trail is nowhere complete, yet I know summiting Katahdin this year is highly likely. But what happens when I can throw this dream up on the shelf because it’s yesterday’s news? What can be bigger and more gratifying for me than this? Sometimes I’ve thought it might be the 2650 mile-Pacific Crest Trail or running a sub 2:40 marathon, but I’m really coming to feel that being a father – and an excellent father for the record – is The Dream.
I look around at the people I hike with, my friends and colleagues back in Seattle and Milwaukee, even Sassy and me, and I see that having a good dad is rare, in many ways more rare than thru-hiking the AT. Running a 2:39 Boston Marathon would be a tremendous goal and likely the apogee of my physical achievements, but even memories and trophies deteriorate after time. An excellent dad can create a legacy, something that doesn’t die, and something that continues to be talked about and emulated by others for generations. I’m still thinking and praying about what exactly this means for Sassy and me when I’m done with the trail, but what I do know is that there are amazing things I will experience that will trump the AT, PCT, or whatever. Being a dad is definitely one of those.
The Dynamic Duo
Daddy Longlegs and Sassy Sunshine sketched by Stewball
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Great thoughts Nick. I completely agree with you on this one. One of the easiset goals to venture into but possibly the toughest of all to accomplish. Being a great dad is a lost art it seems these days and if you find this a worthy goal to aspire to, then I think you're on your way to being one. Wonderful photos as usual. Looking forward to talking with you once you return to SRC.
ReplyDelete