Eastern Continental Trail - Post Hike Update

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ECT Hike

POST HIKE UPDATE
Feb 25 '02

It's now been close to a year since I completed the hike.

Here's a brief sketch of what happened after the hike. I visited my friend Mari in N. Carolina for a few days. Really enjoyed it. I had not seen her and her family for a long time. Took the greyhound back to Miami to catch a plane to San Francsico to visit my brother. Missed the flight. Was able to get a cheap ticket within 2 days. Stayed at my brother's place for about a week. Met his family for the first time. Flew back to Florida. Decided I liked California and moved there in another 2 weeks. Gave away a good amount of my stuff before towing the rest of it to Sunnyvale. Tried finding a job there for about 5 months. However because of the poor market conditions, I could not. Finally got a job in Portland but decided to take one back in Florida because I could work part-time.

On the day before my move back to Florida, U-haul called up and said they did not have a tow for me even though it was reserved. Had to give away everthing except what would fit into my car. So one way or the other Providence got me to get rid of most of my stuff. Drove back to Florida. Stayed with my brother for another 10 days and found an apartment. Now I live in the same apartment complex I lived in 4 years ago, and work for the same company I did back then.

I had been painting a lot in California and continued to do so in Florida. My style went through a lot of evolution. I find that painting balances my life and makes it whole. Work in today's culture is too devoid of meaning and unfulfilling. So by working part time and painting the rest of the time, I have found a compromise between materialistic needs and spiritual expression.

I have been painting on and off all my life. Now I started looking for ways to sell some of them. This was a challenge. But, getting your art known in the public sphere is a challenge. I have never done any self promotion in my life, so its very different. I also ran into the philosophical problem of where to draw the line between promoting for your art and promoting for your own ego.

Any way, this is the adventure I am now on. Very similar to the hike. I have entered an experience quite removed from my normal routine and which requires breaking major psychological barriers. I have no idea of what the outcome will be - will I succeed or will I fail? It is also quite open in that I can choose to paint whatever I want, sell any way I want and use exposure channels as I see fit. But there is a lot more uncertainty - like the non-AT sections of my hike.

If you have read most of the journals I would like to hear from you. It takes a certain 'je ne sais qua' to find such journals interesting. I would particularly like to know what made you read the journal. What are you trying to find from the trail? I was searching for something without knowing it and Voila! found it. It has enriched my life immeasurably.

With a great feeling of sadness, I end the journal section of my hike - about 350 pages of it. Bye, and I hope to see you on the other side.