6 days to go!

Hey y'all - Macon here! Sitting on the back deck at my parent's place in Chattanooga, drinking a cold beer, and enjoying the warm weather. A week and a half ago, I packed my bags and said goodbye to New York City. I spent four and a half years living and working, chasing and achieving my dream of being a magazine designer. A new chapter awaits me in Savannah, Georgia, where I will relocate in August to launch my letterpress & design studio. In the meantime, I'm setting out to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, beginning at Sprinter Mountain, Georgia, and ending on Mt. Katahdin, Maine.

During my trek, I will carry everything I need on my back in a pack - a very specific list of items that I continue to whittle down. I plan on camping out most nights in my tent with a sleeping bag & ground mat. Shelters are available every ten miles or so (I think) but from what I've heard, they are crowded with stinky hikers, mice, and weekend partiers. I'm looking forward to waking up with the sun and spending my days moving north through the Appalachian Mountains. I will be eating granola bars, bagels, peanut butter, dried fruit, and Snickers bars. Small towns dot the path and usually you only go 5 days or so between resupply opportunities. In town, you can also load up on hot meals and/or perishable food (like ice-cream!), toiletries, and camping gear. Water will come from streams and springs, and I will treat anything questionable or downhill from livestock with Aquamira. I'm not excited about drinking chemicals, but from the research I've done, it's the least harmful and most reliable (filters break and clog, and add extra weight). To all the concerned New Yorkers that frightfully asked, "But what will you do about coffee??!! Are you taking a French Press??" my answer is that I've spent the past week weaning myself off coffee and am drinking plenty of  green tea. It's not the same, but no, I'm not taking a French press with me. I'm still debating taking a Jetboil stove for morning tea to get me going & hot chocolate in the evenings.

Anyway, that's it for now - just wanted to say hello and provide some information based on the most common questions I get. Below is a picture of my "dress rehearsal" with my gear - I hiked the Perimeter Trail around Sewanee with my sister last weekend. It was a lot of fun and I feel much more confident & ready to get started on March 20!