As I grow older, and (in my opinion) wiser, I have come to the conclusion that our modern society provides us with too much information and too many options, not only for backpacking/long-distance hiking, but in just about every area. One only has to visit Amazon or REI to see evidence of too many choices, and Google? Fugedaboutit! I just Googled "too many choices" and came up with 1,210,000 results in .64 seconds.

Maybe I'm just tired, but I am done with studying everything to the Nth degree; I am done with surfing 10,000 different choices for water bottles; I am tired of the "noise" of my possessions (downsizing furiously for the last couple of years); and I am just about done with our noisy Western way of life.

I've decided to just live my life, and play it as it comes to me: More leaping, less overplanning, more risk taking, and less angst....

Going hiking on the AT in 18 months, following my retirement from the work force. Gonna throw a few things in my pack and jump the back fence....