5 life lessons that I learned while hiking the Appalachian Trail that totally turned out to not apply to the real world.

Posted byWaldo Jaquith 9 Comments on 5 life lessons that I learned while hiking the Appalachian Trail that totally turned out to not apply to the real world.
  1. I must not own more possessions than I can carry all at once.
  2. Hitchhiking is a totally reasonable primary form of transportation.
  3. I must never buy more groceries than I will eat before the next time I’m within a few miles of a grocery store.
  4. There’s no point in seeing a doctor about pain, illness or injury unless permanent disfigurement or death is likely, because he won’t understand.
  5. It is perfectly appropriate to gently persuade complete strangers to offer me food.

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

9 replies on “5 life lessons that I learned while hiking the Appalachian Trail that totally turned out to not apply to the real world.”

  2. Uh. No. See, you just inadvertently implied that while not hiking I was (or am) in the habit of not bathing for weeks at a time when, in fact, that was an unfortunate byproduct of spending months in the woods. If anything, I learned to value showers more.

  7. Waldo, I love your blog. In case you ever hit a dark period and doubt your commitment to your online audience, remember that I’m counting on you.

    Then I must return the complement via a gripe about your blog, Nat. It was a regular read for me for years and it just kind of petered out about a year ago now. I don’t know what I enjoyed more — the self-portraits from your travels (mostly inside of airplanes :) or screenshots of sexy GUIs you’re developing.

    You don’t blog, therefore you’re not? ;)

  8. 6. Food must be protected while sleeping by hanging from a long string in which a tuna can is installed mid-point.

    7. Calories are good.

    8. Footware is the most important item in your life.

    9. Everything worth knowing exists in a series of notebooks.

    10. Public nudity on the summer solstice is encouraged by your peers.

  9. Janis,

    You are way out of line about smelling like a goat. I have walked behind goats and I have walked behing thru-hikers, and I can tell a thru-hiker is ahead by a good 1/4 mile, whereas a goat cannot be detected until you are practically touching it. What an insult to goats!

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