I’m feeling a bit reflective. This tends to happen when I work a lot and then I am suddenly forced to stop. Tonight my brain has taken me to the concept of what would I really like to do before I kick the bucket.  This isn’t a list of 10 things, but the one thing I would most like to do in the future that I haven’t done yet.  It also isn’t a regret issue as I can still do all of things things I considered…

Hitting the Trail

The one thing that I would most like to do is hike the entire Appalachian Trail.  Now that I have kids, this is pretty much out of reach for at least a decade. That isn’t a problem though as I plan to live much longer than that.

When I was young, and single, I camped a bit. I was a Boy Scout so that got me out in nature and I enjoyed putting miles under my belt.  I’ve done sections of the Trail in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, but I’ve always wanted to do the whole thing. I never really prioritized it when I was younger because, well, I was young and concerned with more immediate things. When I read A Walk in the Woods by bill Bryson (a great read), that cinched it for me.

Ideally I’d like to do it all at once, but that is a 6 month endeavor, so seems unlikely without a massive influx of cash.

So what are my plans now?

What I’m hoping is that I can stay in decent shape and in a decade or so, I can take time away from work and do sections with one or two of my boys. It would be great fun. I’d do it solo, but I’m pretty sure that would have to wait until the boys were out of the house, and then age becomes a major factor.

In the meantime, my oldest is turning five, so I am going to see how he does on some simple trails this summer.

What Didn’t Make the Cut

There are lots of things I would like to do, but I’d give any of them up to hike the AT…

• Run a marathon: I ran Cross Country in high school and college but never ran the big one.
• Spend months exploring Italy and the British Isles: That is months each, though not necessarily all at once. Both places have a strong draw for me.
• Fly into Space: I figure I just have to stay healthy, save money, and wait.

Nothing else really competes. Health, happiness, and family are all daily goals. They aren’t unimportant, but they aren’t big-bang things either.

Your Turn

I wouldn’t mind hearing from some of you out there.  I’m going to tag, but nothing bad will happen if you don’t do anything.  I have no mystical power. I just think knowing what a goal is would be interesting.  The only rules are:

• Pick one: You can name runners-up, but pick a winner
• Still possible: We aren’t going to win gold medals or Oscars. This isn’t about regrets, but what can still be achieved.
• Explain: Don’t just list it. Share a little about why and/or how you still hope to accomplish this feat.

So I tag Kas (the meme creator) Craig, Lee Smith, the Big Men (Lee and Marko), Andrew, Bex, Jed, Johnny, and Billy. I could name more, but those are my top choices. It just happens to be 10.

Regardless of being tagged or sharing, think of what you would like to do and ask yourself, is what I am doing today going to get me there?