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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap: break-word;-webkit-nbsp-mode: space;-webkit-line-break: after-white-space'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Only ran into Poseidon at a couple of stream crossings, but Zeus stalked me throughout Colorado. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>- fellow section hiker Ron<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Josie<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, December 18, 2011 12:13 PM<br><b>To:</b> pct-l@backcountry.net; cdt-l@backcountry.net<br><b>Subject:</b> [Cdt-l] Journey to Ithaca<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>I posted this in my journal, but as cabin fever sets in, I thought perhaps the sentiment may be worth sharing:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>On a cold Sunday, I sit, almost at the midpoint of the return to my journey on the CDT, five months behind me and seven months stretching endlessly ahead. I have plenty of time to dream and think about my return to the trail.</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I have been thinking about the divide between the section hiker and a through hiker--people seem to focus on the accomplishment of hiking the distance in one season and I think perhaps they miss the point--it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey and speaking of trails, isn’t that true of life itself?</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Many hopeful through hikers will set out next year with great expectations and many will find for different reasons that they are unable to walk all the way to Canada. I just want to encourage you to pay attention to the journey because Canada will always be there and in the end are we not all “section” hikers? Some of us take a bit longer to go the distance, but that does not diminish the experience.</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Greek poet Costantine P. Cavafy sums this up very nicely in his poem, “Ithaca”</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'>When you set out for Ithaka</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'><br><span class=apple-style-span>ask that your way be long,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>full of adventure, full of instruction.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>angry Poseidon - do not fear them:</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>such as these you will never find</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>emotion touch your spirit and your body.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>angry Poseidon - you will not meet them</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>unless you carry them in your <a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ithaca/" id=KonaLink0><span class=klink>soul</span></a>,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>unless your soul raise them up before you.</span><br><br><span class=apple-style-span>Ask that your way be long.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>At many a Summer dawn to enter</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>with what gratitude, what joy -</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>ports seen for the first time;</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>to stop at Phoenician trading centres,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>and to buy good <a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ithaca/" id=KonaLink1><span class=klink>merchandise</span></a>,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>and sensuous perfumes of every kind,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>to visit many Egyptian cities,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.</span><br><br><span class=apple-style-span>Have Ithaka always in your mind.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>Your arrival there is what you are destined for.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>But don't in the least hurry the journey.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>Better it last for years,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>so that when you reach the island you are old,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>rich with all you have gained on the way,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>Without her you would not have set out.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>She hasn't anything else to give you.</span><br><br><span class=apple-style-span>And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>So wise you have become, of such experience,</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'>jo</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'>pct 2008, CDT on-going</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'><a href="http://postholer.com/jo">postholer.com/jo</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>