We (David and Jenn) met up simply to play a round of tennis and see if we might be interested in playing mixed doubles. From there, we realized how much we really had in common. We started spending more time together off the court and found that we both aspired to travel, experience adventures, do some risk-taking, and spend as much time outdoors as we could. Since then, we have snowboarded the toughest double black diamonds the country has to offer, rafted in Class V rapids, hiked Southern California’s highest peaks, and backpacked through the wilderness. We've suffered through busted lips, sun poisoning, dehydration, freezing conditions, and running out of food more quickly than expected and have yet to lose sight of our goals.
We definitely could not have accomplished these feats without one another. We'd be lying if we said that we've been 100% happy and motivated during all of our outdoor explorations. But, we somehow know when one of us is starting to feel discouraged and can get the other out of the "holy crap this sucks" funk. A lot of that might stem from David's no-such-thing-as-failure attitude. As an Afghanistan war veteran and 6+ year USMC member, he's accustomed to living on no sleep, eating little food, experiencing extreme temperatures, and undergoing intense physical exertion. He manages to keep a positive attitude and always finds the awesome aspects of every challenge. It also helps that he grew up in rural South Georgia, has lots of outdoor experience, and can basically live off the land by himself. Jenn is just pretty happy-go-lucky and helps keep that smile on David's face with her klutziness and unintentionally hilarious comments. She may not have the outdoorsmen experience that David does, but she knows that her partner is always there to look out for her and that she has the physical prowess to hike 2,000 miles.
We also know that we'll need help along the way. We're truly fortunate to have East Coast families, even though we're West Coasters. We're hoping for some extra assistance in New England and Georgia and are grateful for all of those that support thru-hikers on the trail.
We're really looking forward to our six months of solitude, growing together as husband and wife, and seeing parts of the United States that few ever do. We know we'll have difficulties ahead of us and that sometimes we will want to turn around and head back to sunny San Diego. But, we also know what a sense of accomplishment we will experience, what amazing memories we will share, and what beauties we will witness.
We're just in the planning stages now and know there is a lot of prep work involved. We'll be keeping everyone posted throughout the process and are looking forward to sharing the next 13 months with our readers. Thanks for following our journey!
