Many people think of journalists as annoying. Indeed many are. Heck, truth be told, that’s part of their job is to hold the high and mighty accountable.
But every now and then a journalist writes an article that is flat-out cool. I ask you to check out Nicholas Kristof’s Sunday op-ed in the New York Times. Folks, it is boffo.
I am a veteran long-distance hiker myself and understand perfectly what he is driving at. Because at the end of the day, struggle is not exactly fun. But it’s better than fun. And I can almost guarantee you that if you are willing to emerge from your comfort zone and try a section of this great national scenic trail, you will be chortling over it just like Kristof writes upon your return. Who needs that sedentary August beach vacation in which you lie there like a beached whale!
Bill Walker is the author of Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail. He is also the author of Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail, The Best Way–El Camino de Santaigo, and Getting High–The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.