Imagine running a marathon: 26.2 miles of pure adrenaline rushes, panting, and aching feet. It took months to reach this point. Daily trips to the gym, new eating habits, and a different mindset were all integral parts of the transformation into a marathon runner, leaving the couch potato behind as merely a memory of the past. Finally, it has been 26.1 miles and the finish line is within sight. However, crossing the finish line is nothing more than a symbol for the end of the journey. The location of the line is trivial, the destination irrelevant. Even coming in first place is of an infinitesimal value, for every single runner experiences the race and the training necessary to run the race. The true accomplishment lies in the journey as a …show more content…
Before he even sets out for Georgia, where the trail begins, Bill does immense amounts of research, particularly on bears. After reading Stephen Herrero’s book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, Bryson makes note of the striking dissimilarities between protecting oneself from a grizzly bear and a black bear. While one should try to climb a tree or play dead if encountered by a grizzly bear, one should do the opposite if the bear is black. Possessing this knowledge can be the difference between life and death, and Bryson can be confident he is well equipped should he ever find himself in the midst of a bear attack. During his journey, Bryson also learns to prepare himself for sudden changes in weather by taking precautions, such as carrying a sweater. Understanding the possibility for varying weather conditions is imperative along the trail, for illnesses such as hypothermia can strike without much of a warning. Finally, Bryson learns to never stray from the trail after his hiking companion, Stephen Katz, survives a near death situation off the trail. Had Katz not somehow found his way back to the main trail, Bill never would have seen his friend again. Bryson only completed eight hundred and seventy miles of an enormous trail, but he still engaged himself in an invigorating experience and became skilled at living simply and