Things Missed...

...and NOT missed!

I often try to imagine myself on the Trail. Walking along, day after day. Waking with the sunrise, enjoying a breeze, hearing the pitter-patter of rain on my Packa or tent, even being sore tired damp and smelly (not to romanticize the Trail!). I can imagine those individual scenes. I can't imagine it day after day for half of a year. But that's going to be my life. And I crave it! However much I want to get away from many things there is going to be things that I will desperately miss as well. Until the Trail becomes normal, lack of normalcy will be echoing around me. How long will it take for it to sink in that this isn't a short trip? I have done over-night camping trips, and I have done 12 day canoe trips. It takes over a week for the life-style change to really sink in. Even then, you know in a few more days you will be moving with the help of gasoline again rather than your bodies own motive power.
So, what am I going to miss the most? And what do I think I will not miss the most? Here's a couple lists. At the end of my journey I will look back at these lists and then write again about which things on the list turned out to be missed more, less, or surprising!

I will miss:
1. Cara
2. Friends and family
3. Kaya
4. Home
5. Bed
6. Heating/cooling
7. Wine from the bottle
8. Cooking multi-sided meals
9. Showering daily
10. Pay-check

I will NOT  miss:
1. Traffic, other impatient drivers
2. Feeling rushed frustrated and angry at things I cannot control
3. TV
4. Sitting the majority of every day
5. Worrying about needing to exercise or eat right
6. Being bored
7. Immersion in a society consumed with short attention spans, lying politicians, greed, and rampant consumerism.
8. Dress pants
9. Looking at my cell phone every 2 minutes for email - once a day will be fine IF there's signal!
10. Commuting


I know these lists will change, maybe gradually. I may start not minding skipping showers for a week at a time. I may start to really like ambient temperature every day. I may miss dress pants (doubtful on that account, I wear jeans most every day and haven't had an urge to put on slacks).

Things that I take for granted, like water from a tap, a fridge, ease of buying whatever I want whenever I want could possibly become things that I really miss (speaking of consumerism!). I go on this trip to remove myself from typical American life, to get some perspective, and to find out what I really consider important. I may be standing way too close to see what I really value.

What about you? What did you miss? What will you miss?