Some people often tell me I’m running away from life by hiking. But I really think that this is about is real as it gets. Every day I walk with no distractions such as TV or computer. I can’t just pick up the phone and call someone, I can’t eat whatever I want to distract myself, I can’t do most of the distracting things that people do. I have to deal with whatever thoughts are in my head. Sometimes I sing songs including teaching myself to sing the alphabet backwards, sometimes I count the number of steps it’ll take me to go 800 miles and sometimes I admire the beauty around me. Sometimes I struggle with the demons in my head. Often I try to think about the things I’m grateful for.

On trail I have to find places to go to the bathroom, to get water and sleep each night. If I don’t do those things at home, the consequences aren’t so great, but out here they’re enormous.

People become so important out here. I get joy from every hiker I pass, even the ones who seem they might drive me crazy in other situations. When I am out here I don’t pick and choose who my friends are the same as I do back home, because every encounter has a preciousness to it.

On my second day out as I approached a dirt road, I was thrilled to see a car parked there with a young man who introduced himself as Ungerwear. In return, I gave him the trail name that was bestowed upon me on the CDT, Mary Badass.

I gratefully accepted the Coke and oatmeal cream cakes that he offered me. At home, I might not eat these

things but out here they were special, made more so by the kindness of this young man who came out here just to offer joy to hikers.

On my third day out, I passed by what I had hoped would be a midday watering hole only to find it brown and fouled by cow manure. My app indicated there might be a better watering hole a half a mile up so I took my chances, only to find that second one was even worse than the first. I knew the water situation might be grim when I left this morning so I was prepared for this. I still had a bit in my bottle but would have to go low on water for the next 8 miles. I’ve done it before and resolved not to worry. I ate a lunch of the most wet foods I carry, including tuna in foil packages with mayonnaise and ketchup. It sure was good!

I was getting ready to go on when a mountain biker passed me. I’ve come to appreciate these riders who often are at odds with the hiking community. When she discovered I was low on water, she gave me a pint of hers. I gratefully accepted, drank some of it and saved the rest for later. Just a few minutes later one of the hikers that I had been camping with came by and asked me how I was doing. I told him I was fine but a little low on water and he insisted on giving me another pint. A few minutes later a man who introduced himself as Bob came riding in on a mule with two other mules behind him. He asked if we needed anything and he gave me even more water! To top it all off in about 4 miles I reached a road where the Arizona Trail has set up a cache box. It was full of water. More affirmations to my belief that there’s no reason to worry!

All of this was just affirmations of how so many different people, young and old,conservative,liberal, and non-political i’ll have value and kindness inside of them. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other, not worrying about the future and trusting in the best of everyone. And in return, I feel a responsibility to make sure to do what I can to be kind in the world as well. In this case, at the cache box, I shared some precious chocolate I had with two other hikers.

After that, I hiked on a few more miles to a cement wall that had a pipe coming out of it, and as I had already gone 15 miles that day, I decided to call it a night.