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Motionless, I was fully aware that this next decision would change my life forever. My future had suddenly revealed itself directly behind a brand new 2015 tangerine Subaru CrossTrek. Uncle Mike was eager to offer his advice over the phone, "They're asking for $25,000, but I can talk them down to $24,000." Uncle Mike is the car guru, and I trusted him completely.
At twenty-eight years old, I have never owned a car. This stems from multiple interconnected life choices, but essentially I've never considered myself a full-blown adult. Friends can attest that my youthful exuberance hasn't really been dialed down yet, and I've crushed it this far with unbridled energy. Despite societal expectations, I currently find no appeal in throwing an anchor overboard, settling down, having kids, and putting money down on a mortgage...
...But a car? You can only drive around a bright red Keeway scooter for so long, right?!? "Sure... $24,000... I could make that work," I responded hesitantly.
"Alright! I'll pick you up tomorrow and we'll go take a look!" Uncle Mike is always incredibly helpful. He also incidentally helped to fuel the fire of the grandest undertaking of my life.
"$24,000," I thought, "and I'll finally have my own adventure-mobile."
It didn't feel right. I couldn't move. I was in one of those moments when you know that you are about to make a huge life decision. Subconsciously, this entire choice has been building day-by-day for years, but the fog was finally lifting. I looked down at my smartphone and on a whim typed a question that had never been seriously considered, "How much does it cost to hike the Pacific Crest Trail?"
**Enter**
The first hit gave me exactly the type of opinionated responses that I love. "If you intend to eat baloney sandwiches and minimize your zeroes, then you're looking at around $4,000." "If you're like me and you like to live the high life and shack up once in awhile in a hotel, grab burgers when they're available, etc., then you might anticipate spending $8,000." That price range sounded reasonable for a 2,650-mile quest.
Maybe this next action was overly ambitious, but not a moment later my fingers furiously pounded in another question, "Is there a long-distance trail in New Zealand?" I had traveled there in 2009 to visit my sister Nikki (video proof: New Zealand Tramping Compilation), and I was itching for an excuse to return. The Internet at my apartment was cranking out links to a newly completed trans-New Zealand trail called "Te Araroa," or The Long Pathway.
After a cursory glances at El Camino, the Alpina Trail across Switzerland, and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, my mind was moving a million miles a minute. Heart pounding, legs stiffening, I made one last entry into the search engine: "How long does it take to hike the Appalachian Trail?"
The June 2015 - June 2016 Journey!
Some great moments happen over long-extended periods of time. Others are spontaneous and require mere happenstance. This moment was a combination. I pulled out a calculator and began entering ballpark costs of how much it would cost to hike around the world for a year. The result was a little too ironic: $24,000. The total cost of my fabricated fairy tale was exactly the same a the brand new 2015 tangerine Subaru CrossTrek that I was scheduled to finance the next day. I called Uncle Mike back immediately. I got his voicemail. It all happened so fast. I had the option to look out of my window every day and see a glistening SUV in my driveway, or I had the option to spend the same amount of money, walk around the world, and a have the greatest calendar year of my life.
If you read this far and were hoping to read about the conveniences of unrestricted transportation, gallant anecdotes of impatiently roving supermarket parking lots for princess spots, or spending 51 minutes per day in traffic like the average American commuter, I'm going to disappoint you. This blog will highlight a thru-hiker's yearlong journey starting in June 2015. Follow it here on this blog, and also @tylerhikes on Instagram.
"Uncle Mike, I can't get that car tomorrow - I'm going to pursue my passion!"
Photo Credit: Seth Jones - hiking in West Maroon Pass
I want to thank friends and family members for their support as I pursue this daunting and authentic undertaking. You have all played a part in this story so far, and I hope these next chapters are just as awesome!
I hope this trip inspires wilderness preservation and encourages everyone to get outside!
