Nicolas Maxim: Outside Source: Trail Journals

When reading trail journals I wanted to find a journal that I could read and also add to. In this journal the hiker said he wanted to experience companionship and solitude. He said he wanted to marvel and experience monotony along the trail. He ended by saying the "the best remedy for a short temper is a long walk". In this blog I will briefly state the definitions of those words according to Webster and then explain how they may occur along the trail

Companionship is defined as the fellowship among companions or company. This is something that will happen easily along the AT as he meets people and forms relationships with them. Some people he meets may be his friends for the rest of his life.

Solitude is the quality or state of being alone remote from society. When hiking the AT he will go through a lot of rough terrain that is many miles from society. The wilderness where no one lives will surround him as he hikes along the AT. Its without a doubt that he will be separated from society, therefore, experiencing solitude along the way.

When someone marvels at something they are usually astonished by something or in awe of it. Along the AT the nature and its magnificence would likely cause him to awe and marvel at it. This would most likely occur being that he would be hiking through many different states with various terrain. As he hiked along he may also be surprised and awed at the miles he has traveled throughout the trip.

Something that is monotonous is often tedious or repetitive. This would be very easy to experience along the trip as he wakes up from day to day hiking 10 to 20 miles a day. Nothing in his schedule would change. He would have no serious obligations besides hiking everyday.

In his last statement he says "the best remedy for a short temper is a long walk". I feel that this is very true because on a long walk you have time to find out who you really are and make peace with yourself. I know I have trouble with a short temper at times, and I feel that a long walk would chill me out and allow me to think about what is important to me in life.