Dear Perimeter Hiker

People ask me things about my endeavor all the time. "Why?" is probably the most frequent question, and I think about what it means and how I would answer it just about every day. The questions I use in these "Dear Perimeter Hiker" installments are pretty close to what was originally asked. I go off the assumption that if one person was curious there might be others equally curious.

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On my way out of Paris, I met a bookstore owner who asked me some pretty tough questions. One is a version of "Why?", and the other is a good all-around question. His are the first and second ones.

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One Foot into Arkansas, Bowie County & Miller County, Day 73

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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

What was your goal before starting your trek and are you accomplishing it?

Gotta Stay Focused

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Dear GSF,

I had a lot of surface goals before starting the trek. In no particular order, they were: to do something never done before, to have an adventure, to see Texas, to meet interesting people, to see different things, to visit places I'd never otherwise visit, and to write about all of the above. I have accomplished these goals and checked them off.

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If all I had were these goals, I might be inclined to quit while I was ahead. Both fortunately and unfortunately, it goes deeper than the above list.

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Just slightly deeper is the notion that I wanted to accomplish something, to start and finish a project that I had created, and that the creation and completion was enough just by itself. As with anything, if a person conceives of an idea and follows through with it, a pattern is created that can then be repeated. Likewise, a person can conceive of some do-able idea and choose not to do anything with it, also creating a pattern and a similar though opposite effect. In my case, I was tired of not doing anything and wanted to reverse that.

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However, there is something underneath all of the above reasons that defies my attempts to explain it. I feel compelled to walk, as if my future relied upon it in ways I have yet to understand. Comprehension is not the goal, though; it's a byproduct of giving myself this time. I'm open to the possibility that I'll never understand the impact of this project on me and my life, only that it was important for me to do.

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Is God Satisfied with Your Life?, Red River County, Day 78

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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

What if anything have you learned thus far?

Looking for Answers

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Dear LFA,

I've learned that homemade peanut brittle is wonderful, that some people are trusting of strangers and others are not, that camping in the middle of nowhere is not terribly difficult, that people offer rides even when you're not asking, that the importance of meaningful human contact is impossible to overvalue, that store purchases are decent icebreakers, that no matter how you act some people will always judge you on your looks, that walking on a paved road really hurts after a while, that walking with a foot injury hurts even more, that East Texas is beautiful, that Couchsurfing.org is a great idea, that my family and friends are rooting for me, that Texas newspapers are going to be around for a long time, that DeKalb is pronounced DEE-CAB, that it's fun to visit with friends of my parents when my parents aren't around, that a smile is just about the best thing to receive after a long day, that mountain lions aren't real fun to hear close at night, that I harbor within me the same prejudices I experience, and that God has presented himself everywhere I have traveled. There's probably more, but that'll do.

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Texas Bricks, Longview, Harrison County, Day 62

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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

What are you going to do during the Panhandle winter?

Getting Cold Just Thinking About It

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Dear GCJTAI,

I have a few options. I can attempt to go through it as long as the weather holds up decently. This is difficult as the blue northers usually sweep in without much warning. With good boots and a good sleeping bag, I'm confident the hiking would be manageable.

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However, I'm not thrilled with the idea of hiking wet or - worst case scenario - in a white out. If I feel like I need to bail for a few weeks or more, I have two non-hiking options: 1) get a job up north or 2) volunteer at a park in the region. I intend to look into these options during the Thanksgiving break.

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Stay tuned! More updates on the way...