The First Time I Was Really in the Wild

Scooting into Rangeley, Maine with only 220 miles left to hike, I realized: this is the first time since leaving Georgia that I have genuinely been in the wilderness. I mean sure--I spend 99% of my time in the woods, pooping in holes and wringing out my dirty rain-soaked socks (of course this is dramatic--the life of a hiker is generally luxurious, involving strolls through nature and swims in the sun), but Maine, my friends, MAINE! The place where you really don't have phone service, and where there are no roads or towns, and where moose and bear and these little woods chickens I see everywhere run free...

So, yes: I am hiking through the wild, this time for real. The leaves are changing. The air is filled with the crispness of autumn. The mountains steep, the birches peeling. The terrain muddy and rocky, but the pines dense enough to provide shelter. This is the final stretch my friends. Katahdin looms near. To be frank, it is an absolute indescribable mindfuck that I have walked this far.

And I am as well as ever. Strong as an ox. Level-headed and calm. Even happy. Sure, I occasionally slip into one of my usual stews of frustration--all fueled by attachments, non-acceptance, and most of all ego, of course, the banes of serenity in this human body--but usually, I feel satisfied and alive. 

What am I going to do when I return? I feel less sure than ever, and more at peace with that surrender than ever. I plan on working hard, inside and out, living, and simply receiving the next blessing. My demeanor should not be mistaken for apathy or cool aloofness--the lack of anxiety in my life could better be characterized by a trusting that the trail will provide. 'Cause life is but another trail to be walked. To feel free and easy: all it takes is an assumption of good will and a lowering of expectations, a trusting that all will be well. 

This is difficult when flooded with parking tickets and prescriptions, utility bills and DMVs, Christmas shopping and teeth-cleanings--I know. I am no guru, I am no saint, and I don't expect to avoid the realities of an integrated life of the 21st Century. 

However. 

With this newly developed way to greet the world, I hope to retain some of my sanity. Just gotta work it out, like a muscle, or a kink. 

For now, I will just set up my tent and continue to live the good life. That goes for the future too, so to speak. 

Northwards to the limit I walk. 

--Bootsy