Outside Reading- Trail Journals

I explored the trail journals online blog given in class, and my attention was specifically draw to a man named TSquare. He was often anxious throughout his journaling as he got ready to depart, and upon his arrival at the end of the trial. I found him interesting because he closed every entry with "I had to walk through life and hills of a different kind, to finally take the walk of my life." This shows the importance that TSquare has placed upon the through hike he is about to take. I was able to connect to Martin Buber's explanation of I-thou, through this man's entries. He wanted to connect with his time on the trail. He expresses his concern for his family, his job, and all the responsibilities he has to let go of for the five months he will be hiking. He is going from the boundaries the world has placed upon him to the limitless world the trail can bring him. The next entry consists of very few words as he states "....just, breathe." For me, he is coming to realize that he will have these encounters with the trail and that he must let go of the anxiety and resistance he feels. As I continued to read his entries, his strong desire to connect with the trail became overwhelmingly apparent. TSquare states: 

"I will understand the "why' part for me, after I can explain the "how". I can't do that until I discover, experience, taste, curse, embrace, enjoy, cry, laugh and share the "what", "who", and "where". Either way, I will know more after than before."

This entry shows not only the need to find connectedness of the trail but to find something within himself that he has yet to experience. While Buber talks about the encounter with space, it seems to me there is also a a deeper level of encounter that happens internally as well, something that the trail assists it's pilgrims with.