The other day while sitting with a friend, he began questioning me about my adventures on foot. I began trying to find the words of describing a beautiful place I had been , when he interrupted me. He asked, "Does anything bad ever happen to you out there?" I thought for a second, then with a bit of a chuckle, I replied.
"Well,, I have had contracted Guardia and other water born illnesses several times. I once fell down a snow chute just three before completing and busting up my tailbone and tore all the skin off both elbows and arms. I cracked myself in the head by a low lying branch, and woke up an hour later, not knowing where I was. I have walked on more blisters than I can count, some the size of golfballs, only to have them turn to infections because I could not stop walking. I have lost all of my toenails, most, multiple times. I have been cut, scraped and bruised almost daily. I have walked thousands of miles with bummed knees, swollen angles and feet, shin splints, torn muscles and ligaments, and had to eat advil like m&m's. I have been lost, hot, cold, thirsty, starved, or lonely, one of which, most of the time. Walked countless miles with ass rash or some other form of chafing. Been chased by dogs, bulls, bees and venomous snakes. Faced down bears, lions and drunks. I have been stopped by cops, detained by sheriffs, and held at gunpoint by crazy land owners. I have been yelled at by passing cars to get a life, job or haircut. Been told not to panhandle in front of the post office, or shower in the sprinklers. I have been kicked out of buffets for eating too much and hanging out into the meal change. I have lost my phone, maps, cash, credit cards, meds, hats, sunglasses, tent stakes and many other things that keep me walking safely."
And then he interrupted me with, "WTF, why the hell do you do it?" And I thought once again and could only come up with' "Because its fun..."