Change of plans

Slight change of plans.  This will not change any goals, but it will change the time frame.
I will be doing a flip-flop taking two summers and starting from a common midpoint working outward.

Preparation

Willpower

I have begun my mental preparation.  I will be setting short and long term goals for myself to keep momentum and positive desires to succeed.  Even before I leave, I need to boost my physical energy, while holding a sense of calm about this experience.

Gear

Interestingly enough I have very little personal gear that I would deem worthy of taking on this hike.  I have never tried to hike "superlight" before.  Currently I am debating about which type of stove to take with me.  MSR Whisperlite is what I'm looking at for having 1 lb. (minus fuel).  However I am hearing a lot about alcohol stoves being lighter and easier to find refills for.

I know that some people hike without them, but a tent seems rather vital for my style of hiking.  Eureka! Solitaire seems like a great valued tent at 2lb9oz.  Cutting off that 9oz is at least an additional 100 bucks.  I could save more weight just switching packs out for a lighter pack.

I am still looking for more suggestions on a cook pot, water purifier (although General Ecology First Need XL Water Purifier seems fine at less than a pound) , and ground mat.

Note:

I plan on going southbound starting in June.  I will be coasting in rather good weather until November, minus the rain.

Countdown to the AT

Let me begin by saying welcome.  My name is Kyle, but for the sake of this blog and all things related to my new journey I am going to go by SpiritEd ________.  This first post is going to simply explain my background, intentions, and my name choice.

My Background:

I am a man at a crossroads.  I will be finishing up college here in 3 months and released into society as a teacher.  Despite my unique aspirations of finding a suitable and active job within the music education spectrum, I feel stifled.  My life, in a nutshell, is easy.  A path that thousands travel every year, with a cookie cutter plan of classes and support system that won't let me fail.  So here I look for adventure.  I look for a path that, like life, has one journey holding many challenges.  Failure is not an option.

My Intentions:

The adventure of the 21st century is a fight for progress, and while I will carry my weight, there is an adventure to be had at a more meaningful, intrinsic, level.  I plan on discovering myself.  Stuck in a world of trivial metacognition holds no true answers.  I don't intend to find true answers.  I expect to grow however, and in growth I will discover that answers are not the goal of life.  Living is the goal of life.  Stories to help others grow, until someday they are of an age to travel outside of their own backyard.  Progress.

My name choice.  Ed is what I already see myself as.  I am a teacher, and Education is a pursuit that I am looking forward to in my journey.  To educate myself everyday during my trek.  To educate my students through real life experiences.  Spirit, similarly, is a goal that I have.  To find the different elements of passion in each living thing.  Spirit is my driving force and one of my strongest qualities.  So I will set off as SpiritEd _______ until I find an appropriate name to fill the blank.  

-SpiritEd ________