My AT Thru-Hike for the Homeless
Donation protected
Hello Everyone! My name is Markie and I'm from Indianapolis where the dreadful flatness and the winter months make you question your sanity. I have always been a lover of the outdoors and I believe I am at point in my life where it is finally time to fulfill my dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I remember I first heard of the Appalachian Trail more than 10 years ago when my mother told me about an elderly woman embarked on a solo thru-hike and near completion of the Trail from Georgia to Maine, she broke an ankle as her son had arrived to finish the remainder of the Trail with her. The expanse of the Trail itself is immense and for someone past their sixties to undertake the challenge on their own seemed phenomenal to me. Since that point it has always been something I knew I wanted to do and I have a perfect opportunity to pursue it.
So the task at hand: thru-hiking the Trail is defined differently depending on the source, however my interpretation, and what I will set out to do, is hike the 2,189.2 mile Trail from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia on foot to the northern terminus of Mount Katahdin in Maine. I can’t say for certain what precisely I am seeking to gain from the adventure, but I believe this is precisely what I need in my life right now. At the very least I want to complete an end-to-end hike of the Trail for the following reasons:
· It will be the most physically taxing (and even more so, mentally taxing) endurance feat I’ve attempted in my life. That accomplishment alone will be incredibly fulfilling. If that won’t give me a new perspective on things I’m not certain what will.
· It will give me time away from the hustle bustle of the 9 to 5 grind to really figure out what it is I want to pursue as my future career. I absolutely know that the 40-hour a week desk job isn’t right for me and I’m thankful that I have the audacity, for lack of a better work, to deny that is what I have to do to be successful. I’ve heard “if you love what you do you won’t work a day in your life” and that’s exactly what I believe to be true.
· I want to get back to a more simple way of living. Most everyone falls victim to consumerism and material nature of our society. I would like to live for a while with nothing but the essentials, food, clothing and shelter and really develop my appreciation for all that nature has to offer.
· I would like to tie my journey to a fundraise for a worthwhile cause.
For all of these reasons I ask that as I am on this journey you consider making a contribution to the Know Outlets campaign. The Know Outlets campaign is administered by the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) based in Indianapolis, with leadership from Downtown Indy, and supported by Indianapolis businesses, organizations, and individuals. The goal is to educate Indianapolis residents, visitors, and business owners on what outlets are available to support Indy’s homeless population in order to improve the lives of our city’s homeless in the most meaningful ways possible. - For more information about the campagin please visit their website: www.knowoutlets.org. All funds raise via this page will go directly to the campaign.
Also feel free to follow me on my Appalachian Trail adventure: http://appalachiantrials.com/author/markie-rexroat/.
Thank you for your support!
I remember I first heard of the Appalachian Trail more than 10 years ago when my mother told me about an elderly woman embarked on a solo thru-hike and near completion of the Trail from Georgia to Maine, she broke an ankle as her son had arrived to finish the remainder of the Trail with her. The expanse of the Trail itself is immense and for someone past their sixties to undertake the challenge on their own seemed phenomenal to me. Since that point it has always been something I knew I wanted to do and I have a perfect opportunity to pursue it.
So the task at hand: thru-hiking the Trail is defined differently depending on the source, however my interpretation, and what I will set out to do, is hike the 2,189.2 mile Trail from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia on foot to the northern terminus of Mount Katahdin in Maine. I can’t say for certain what precisely I am seeking to gain from the adventure, but I believe this is precisely what I need in my life right now. At the very least I want to complete an end-to-end hike of the Trail for the following reasons:
· It will be the most physically taxing (and even more so, mentally taxing) endurance feat I’ve attempted in my life. That accomplishment alone will be incredibly fulfilling. If that won’t give me a new perspective on things I’m not certain what will.
· It will give me time away from the hustle bustle of the 9 to 5 grind to really figure out what it is I want to pursue as my future career. I absolutely know that the 40-hour a week desk job isn’t right for me and I’m thankful that I have the audacity, for lack of a better work, to deny that is what I have to do to be successful. I’ve heard “if you love what you do you won’t work a day in your life” and that’s exactly what I believe to be true.
· I want to get back to a more simple way of living. Most everyone falls victim to consumerism and material nature of our society. I would like to live for a while with nothing but the essentials, food, clothing and shelter and really develop my appreciation for all that nature has to offer.
· I would like to tie my journey to a fundraise for a worthwhile cause.
For all of these reasons I ask that as I am on this journey you consider making a contribution to the Know Outlets campaign. The Know Outlets campaign is administered by the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) based in Indianapolis, with leadership from Downtown Indy, and supported by Indianapolis businesses, organizations, and individuals. The goal is to educate Indianapolis residents, visitors, and business owners on what outlets are available to support Indy’s homeless population in order to improve the lives of our city’s homeless in the most meaningful ways possible. - For more information about the campagin please visit their website: www.knowoutlets.org. All funds raise via this page will go directly to the campaign.
Also feel free to follow me on my Appalachian Trail adventure: http://appalachiantrials.com/author/markie-rexroat/.
Thank you for your support!
Organizer
Markie Rexroat
Organizer
Indianapolis, IN
