The Preparation

by Taney Wilkins

I knew it was going to be expensive, and I knew it was going to be worth it. I have yet to tally up the total cost of my month long backpacking trip in the wilderness of the Absoroka, WY; that's okay, because I have yet to go. I am in the midst of preparing my job, apartment and life for my 32 day absence. One might first think this an easy task, they would be wrong. It's not just the big things like plane tickets and equipment that are cumbersome, it is the sheer number of small details to be taken care of, pets, mail, bills, finishing up work related projects, plants, car, not to mention the gear and equipment I have to compile for my adventure.

My friends think I must be crazy, $40 for a Crazy Creek, ?you can get a Lazy Boy for $100!? they exclaim, but I don't want to sit in a Lazy Boy. I want to carry a pack that weighs more than half my body weight 90 miles, sleep on the ground, and pee in the woods (among other things), I want to give up showering, shaving and everything else civilized (a.k.a. dull, boring, average). Not only do I want to do this, I want to pay lots and lots of money to do it. My destination is Lander, WY (yes, this could double as the title to the well known game ?Where In The World is Carmen San Diego?). I have recently come to find out that Lander is a six hour drive from where I land in Salt Lake City, UT. At this point my life is consumed with details, enough already I want to get on with the adventure... I just want to go, already.

No, I am not ready, and it will take me the next month to solidify my readiness, but I can feel the excitement starting to build, and I foresee great things in my outdoor adventure. Such great things, that I am very willing to endure the harassment by my coworkers and friends to stand up for my decision to take this journey.

The list of things to do will get smaller, and the excitement and nervous anticipation can only grow, finally I will leave. I will embark on what I hope will be a rewarding, challenging and most importantly fun adventure.

About the Author

Taney Wilkins (taneywilkins@compuserve.com) lives in Cincinnati, OH and works for a publishing company in KY. She is a recent graduate of Miami Univ