After making it this far into the year, I think we can safely say that the world's not going anywhere (yet).
At the end of 2016 I found myself wondering where I was mentally at the beginning of last year. What were my goals? What did I imagine happening? Who was I?
As fast as the years may appear to be flying (or dragging) by, fifty-two weeks is a long time and who you are right now is probably not who you're going to be when we (if we) see the calendar change over to 2018.
So what's on the to-do list for 2017's 8,760 hours?
Let's take a look.
THINGS I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN ABOUT
Since nothing is guaranteed, I feel that “fairly certain” most accurately describes the highest level of confidence I can have in any particular event taking place (that is unless we're talking about our eventual deaths – that's definitely going to happen, gang).
The following are all things that, should everything in my life remain on its current trajectory, I fully expect to happen this next year.
That being said, things rarely work out the way we expect them to.
In 2017, I will:
- Complete the Overland Track (Tasmania, Australia).
- Complete a traverse of the Western Arthurs (Tasmania, Australia).
- Hike Walls of Jerusalem Nation Park (Tasmania, Australia).
- Hike one more trail (still TBD) somewhere in Tasmania (Australia).
- Put in some serious karaoke training in Japan.
- Hitchhike 1,100 mi / 1,800 km across Japan from Tokyo to Fukui and then up to Sapporo.
- Hike the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada (heading northbound).
- Spend two or three months in Nepal (what treks I complete there remain to be seen).
- Fly to New Zealand to begin a year of work, travel, and trekking around the country.
- Continue to post regularly to Halfway Anywhere and develop it from its current “hobby” status into something that I do full time (I can dream, can't I?).
THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAPPEN
We can't always get everything we want, but if this next year proved especially fruitful, then I just might be able to tick all these off the list as well.
These are things I could still manage to do should I stay on the course outlined above (or even if I deviate). Kind of like a mini bucket list but just for this coming year.
In 2017, I would like to:
- Go skydiving (it's on the bucket list).
- Go on an extended kayak/canoe journey.
- Not die (you never know).
- Start doing some serious mountaineering (must make friends).
- Begin posting more videos (including gear reviews and trip reports) to my YouTube channel.
- Finally go snowboarding again (I keep missing winter).
- Discover some awesome new music (recommendations welcome).
- Get a new shelter (still don't know if I want to abandon the freestanding tents).
- Complete a half marathon (doesn't have to be anything official).
- Read at least one book per month (again, recommendations welcome).
THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN
We never know who we are going to meet or what crazy turns our lives might end up taking. The following are things that could potentially happen if things don't go according to my current “plan.”
In 2017, I might:
- Begin a thru-hike of the Te Araroa Trail (a trail spanning the entire length of both New Zealand's islands).
- Completely abandon Halfway Anywhere for a life of office work (let's hope this doesn't happen).
- Die somewhere in the mountains.
- Go to Iceland (if Nepal doesn't work out).
- Buy a van and begin what may be years of vagabonding across North and South America.
- Finally discover what it is I'm doing with my life.
THINGS THAT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD WILL NOT HAPPEN
Never say “never,” right?
Here is a list of things that I am fairly certain will not happen this year. Note: simply because something is not listed here does not necessarily translate to my wanting (or not wanting) to do that particular thing.
In 2017, I probably will NOT:
- Finally make it up to Alaska (apparently I need to spend a few more years away from the US of A).
- Visit South America (desculpa, meus amigos).
- Be getting married (or having a child).
- Go to Easter Island or the Galapagos.
- Visit Africa (although not for lack of wanting to).
- Hike the Sierra High Route.
- Be approached by a distant and relatively unknown relative offering me a large sum of money to never stop doing what I'm doing.
WHERE IS MY MIND?
So where am I at mentally at the start of the year?
Well, I'm surprised that I've ended up committing to the Continental Divide Trail (which will likely be the defining event of the year), but I'm even more surprised that I've been able to maintain this vagabond lifestyle until now.
Overall, I'm quite optimistic for the year to come.
So once again, thank you to everyone who has supported me, to everyone who reads and follows Halfway Anywhere, and to all the strangers turned friends I've met along the way.
Cheers to another year of adventure!
-Mac