And so it begins.

Here I sit, less than a month away from my 40th birthday. I'm overweight, out of shape and have high blood pressure. I don't exercise, sleep terribly and live a very fast food lifestyle. I can blame any number of things, I've had a rough year. My father committed suicide on June 30th, 2014. It put me in a spiral that I'm still feeling the effects of, and will continue for the rest of my life I'm sure. I've had panic attacks, insomnia and bouts of depression.

But it hasn't been all bad. I've got a lot going for me. I have a tremendous circle of friends and family that have been there for me through all of it. I am able to spend a good portion of my free time doing something that I love, which is tabletop gaming (think board games and role-playing games).  I've managed to put together a few very successful charity events related to gaming to benefit my local children's hospital, The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. As I approach the mid-point of my life (at least I'm hoping!),I want to keep the momentum up. I want to do something significant.

And then I got a text a few days ago. "You really want to do a half Appalachian with me next year?" It was referring to what I thought was a jest from my friend Jeff, from a month or two back. He was talking about the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine. It's been something I've always wanted to tackle, but I had never seriously considered it. I made a few excuses about not being able to take time off work or being able to afford it, but then I stopped to think. What did I have to lose? If I have learned anything over the past year, it's that life is too damn short. Live while you can, do what you love. I went all in. I bet on myself.

Starting in May of 2016, I'll be hiking from Harper's Ferry, Virginia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine, approximately 1,100 miles. I will carry all my gear on my back, sleeping in shelters or a tent. I'm going to try to make it a charity benefit, but I'll get into that later. I'm going to use this journey as an opportunity to make a positive change in my life, so that maybe 40 WILL be my halfway point. I hope to chronicle my journey and share the experiences I have training over the next year and then continue while on the trail. Maybe my stories will inspire others to live a little outside the norm, to go the extra step, to cross off that bucket list item. Writing has always been a passion, but one that I've never pursued seriously. That changes now. If not now, when?