In January I posted a list of my goals for 2024. Now that the year is half over (already?!), it’s time to report on my progress! My 2024 Goals Walk from Mexico to Canada. 48% complete. I’ve hiked 1,288 out of 2,655 miles. I hope to finish mid September, and need to finish by the …
Tis the season for goal setting and new year’s resolutions. Every January, our culture is abuzz with self-improvement talk. The turning of a new year is a natural opportunity to reflect on the previous year and make plans for the new one. However, in recent years I’ve also noticed a lot of push back to …
I tracked every dollar I spent on the Appalachian Trail. I did this from a curiosity standpoint; I was interested to know what the final figure would be. Though I had an approximate idea on how much I thought the hike might cost, I did not set an exact budget. My goal was to make …
When you’re thru-hiking, there is no question about what to do each day. You wake up, pack up your tent, and hike. Rinse, repeat. With my Appalachian Trail thru-hike complete, I suddenly have a tremendous amount of autonomy in how to fill my time. I am blessed to have 15 more months of my mini-retirement. …
I am about a month into my mini-retirement and so far, it’s everything I dreamed it would be. With my AT thru-hike beginning March 16th, I had about a 6-week interim period between the start of my mini-retirement and leaving for Georgia. I had 3 goals for this period: So far, I’d say I’m nailing …
1. Traditional The traditional career path goes something like this: My problem with the traditional trajectory is that is forces you to postpone many of your personal goals until late in life. By the time you reach retirement, you may be too old to do the dreams you had when you were young. Delayed gratification …
Did I win the lottery? Did I marry a billionaire? How can I afford to take a two year unpaid sabbatical? My Advantages First off, I need to acknowledge my privilege. I’m an able-bodied white person in the richest country in the world. I grew up happy and comfortable and never wondered where my next …
What is an Emergency Binder? An emergency binder contains critical family information in case of an emergency. It can include details such as legal documents, medical records, emergency contacts, financial information, website usernames and passwords, etc. In the case of a death or other crisis, it can make an extremely stressful event just a little …
For the holidays this year we decided to opt out of the consumerism and travel stress and instead have a peaceful week at home. We want to visit family, but we’re saving a ton on plane tickets by traveling before and after the holidays instead of prime travel season. Due to my upcoming mini-retirement, my …
1. Life is short, don’t postpone. Accomplish your goals while you’re still young enough to do them. You never know what life may throw your way later: medical problems, family emergencies, worldwide pandemics, stock market crashes. If you have the opportunity to pursue a dream now, do it. 2. Try new things. Expand your brain. …