Why?

My brother gave me a book for Christmas this last year. Pacific Crest Trials. It very strongly suggests making a couple of lists before even heading out to take the first step.

This is the first of these lists: Why Am I Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

I'll keep a copy of this with me so I can refer back to it when the "Why the fuck and I doing this!?" question rises in my mind. And it will.

• Because I finally can. Finally, I have the time, energy, money, and inclination to set out and do this trail.
  
  I've seen the thin red (and occasionally black) line labeled "Pacific Crest Trail" on topographic maps for literally decades. I followed it on the map kinda wishing I could. ("Oh, look! It goes through Devil's Postpile!" "Oh, right through Lassen, too!") I never thought that I could do it though I wanted to for a very long time.
• To become a little more spontaneous. The first part of my hike is pretty decently planned out. I kinda have an idea of where I might camp each night for the first 3 weeks. I kinda know where I can get water. I kinda know where I'll get food.
  
  Not everything needs to be planned out in advance.
  
  Ages ago, I saw "Into the Wild" and was brought to tears from longing to do what that guy did. (Stopping well short of the tragic end, mind you.) I've always--always--wanted, needed a plan. I've pretty much always thought plans are necessary. Intellectually, I know they aren't but I've never been able to tear myself away from wanting to always know what's going to happen. (Yeah, I know that's pretty impossible to know what's going to happen.)
• To do something remarkably simple and remarkably hard
• To live with less.
• To live freely and simply.  (Wake up, eat, pack, walk, eat, walk, camp, eat, sleep. Repeat.)
• To see things very few people (relative to everybody in the world) get to see.
• To exercise more. A lot more.
• To eat candy. A lot. (Mmmm....  Snickers.....)
  
• Surprisingly, to learn to rely on others. (Gonna have to do a lot of hitch-hiking.)
  
• To look out from the High Sierra and see vast expanses below me.
• To step outside my comfort zone.
• To expand my comfort zone.
• To have stories to tell.
• To be in the wilderness.
• To be by myself.