So...why journal?

Usually, when I tell people about my hiking plans, I encounter similar inquiries: Most popular include:
"How many miles?"
"What about the bears, you're taking a gun right?"
"What will you eat?"
"Where will you sleep?"
& on & on.

But yesterday, I was asked, "Why bother journaling; why put in the extra effort?"

After some thought, I realized this was a valid question and my answer to her was worth sharing on this blog.

My reasons for journaling are as follows:
First and foremost: I want to share my adventure with my family, friends and others who are interested.
Second, but perhaps even more important - I want to expose as many people to Nature as possible. The more people exposed to the outdoors, its beauty & its benefits, the better chance we have of preserving our wild places! I encourage my friends, loved ones and everyone I meet to get 'out there' and explore. And if that's not their cup of tea, to appreciate the importance of Nature and help preserve it by being members of (or contributing to) organizations that do - such as:

Third: Perhaps my style and approach to life & hiking may help and inspire others with their own journeys. When I read trail journals, I resonate with certain people, their outlook and their style more than others. So, I figured why not have another resource out there for people?

And lastly: Many months ago, when I first considered journaling, thoughts of the result of my trip constantly consumed my mind. I would obsess day & night over meaningless internal dialogue such as, "What if I don't finish the hike? Everyone will know" and other senseless, energy consuming speculations that crept into my head. To put a stop to the chatter, I knew I needed to breathe, take a step back and examine the reasons why I want to do this hike. After doing so, it became very clear that the results aren't important. Realizing that being fully present in the current moment is all that matters, and frankly is all that there is, re-instilled in me the fact that taking action now - even if those actions are very small steps - is the only way to make progress and get to where I want to be - which is on the trail! After becoming aware of this, I logged on to blogger and created what you see now ;)

"Don't let your body or your mind get ahead of your breath." ~Joy Stone