[pct-l] Trail Angel at Carson Pass

[b j]

Hi Byron,

Caveat:  I will try not to rant.  If I do, it's not directed at you, rather a reflection of my own frustrations.

Although we would LOVE it and be enormously grateful if you babied us on the trail, keep your idea of hiking the PCT in the near future alive!  Giving to the world by trail angeling would likely be enormously rewarding.  (And, beware, trail angeling might just fuel the fire...)  You have only one life, it's short and precious, and only you have the ability to define it.  I decided to hike this year BECAUSE I CAN.  Who knows what the next years bring?

We are so trained to be a cog in the wheel.  I've worked for organizations large and small, and had a variety of bosses.  I'm one that craves adventure so have asked for time off here and there.  When asking for time off from the large organizations I worked with, the first answer was often 'no' or 'it would show you're not serious about your career'.  About that career killer comment, I bring to the conversation that this has been a life-long dream and would enrich my capacities of teamwork, resiliency, communication under pressure, resourcefulness, planning, organization, focus on goals, etc.  I often needed to find a boss or another person with influence who would listen to me, really listen to me, and appreciate why I wanted to do this and how it made me of greater value to the company in the long run.

Society generally sends millions of small messages saying, "work, work, it's what you're supposed to do, if you're not working to make money, there's something wrong with you, don't stop and think, just work" but if you open your eyes, there are so many endeavors out there that are incredibly valuable and often don't pay money (like trail angeling). 

I may be having a brain freeze, but I can't think of one profession where taking a summer off is career suicide.  I think you make it what you choose.  When I have taken time off, the official approval was tempered with slight disapproval, but people came to me left right and center saying how jealous they were of my plans.  Yes, in the end, you might have to change employers, but you also may find a new employer that appreciates all the things you've accomplished and is more flexible, or even a new boss sometimes makes the world of difference.  Granted, its more work for an employer to manage the temporary gap of a competent employee, it's almost even more work than just hiring someone new and call it a day.

Make a list of all the things you want to do in your life.  Feel deeply how much you want to do these things.  Which ones would you regret not doing if you were coming to an end?  There's always a way to do them.  And get going on it!  (And trail angeling would be on my list too!)

Respectfully,

-Rhiannon