Joy in the Journey

When people heard of my plan to walk forty days on the Appalachian Trail they were interested. They were curious. They humored me. I had camped but never outside a campground, never carrying a backpack and never alone. What? Alone? No! Not alone! Had I not read the reports? Had I not heard the warnings?My response initially was that there are bears and boars and snakes and rabid things and bad mou...