This website began with documenting a 5,000 mile hike along the American Discovery Trail, a year long journey. Three years later I reported on journeying along Pacific Crest Trail to earn Cindy the Triple Crown of long distance hiking. Instead, Cindy likely became the only person awarded an Honorary Triple Crown. Ten years after our ADT journey the website retold our those experiences, adding the perspective of her cognitive decline.
Regarding the value of journeys, here is an excerpt from an essay I wrote recently*:
For years I compared these journeys to a way of life for inquiring minds who were curious or mistaken, filled with the rewards, challenges and routines that all ways of life involve. Now I am struck by how life resembles a journey. With both our lives and journeys we seek to explore, learn and grow along the way.
My long distance journeys brought me into frequent contact with strangers who turned into instant friends. The kindness strangers extended to me, the kindness communities provided to their own and the belonging I felt with other long distance hikers during these journeys shaped the mantra that guides my journey of life:
“Love kindness. Build community. Believe in humanity.”
Cindy and I once planned to hike continuously around the world. Even though that is no longer an option I still hope to go on long distance journeys. If life continues to make that impossible, then I have a plan for doing so vicariously. Please provide suggestions for rural or beautiful places to go during a hike around the world. In response I will research the suggestions and post about the beauty, culture, kindness and joy to be discovered. I hope someday to used your suggestions and report on those experiences. Just leave your suggestion as a comment.
My vicarious journeying will extend to following the other humanity hiker. Unfortunately, his last Instagram post was 36 weeks ago, so I am not sure if he intends to complete his journey. Maybe sharing some of his past posts on here will provide an incentive to resume his journey. I also will check in occasionally on the Trail Journals website.
Journeying, Past and Future is the first of a series of articles explaining the major themes for this website. I will finish this series before the New Year and then embark on the “Future” posts for the various themes moving forward. If you look forward to posts with this journeying theme, please subscribe if you have not done so, or encourage a friend to subscribe as well. Liking and sharing posts would be a great help to me.
*The excerpt is from the White Paper for the Unenlightened Wisdom Project: Journeying from Brain Health to Democracy. You can keep informed about this ten year endeavor on the companion website to this one. Subscribing to that site will enable you to download the White Paper for free.