September 12, 2019 • 45 mins
Camping with my kids in my backyard and why I decided to share my experiences.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Everyone's bound to get lost sometimes, but often
the journey back provides viewsthat you wouldn't have gotten a
chance to see otherwise.
I'm Tim Garland and this is thetrail connection podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
[inaudible] [inaudible][inaudible]
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I want to take you guys back to the year 2017.
It's pretty significant year inmy life because, uh, that was
the year I was turning 30, butit was also coincidentally one
of the most challenging years ofmy life, not because of
anything, you know, crazy.
(01:11):
Um, you know, no trauma or, um,you know, a major life changing
event other than the fact that,uh, I had gotten to a point in
my life where I was reallyoverwhelmed and, um, had gotten
(01:32):
down a path that I didn't wantto go down anymore.
2017 was a, was a year that Iwas turning 30, and I guess you
could say I was going through aquarter life crisis or whatever,
whenever you want to call it.
(01:52):
Um, I had gotten to a pointwhere I had so much on my plate
that I was, I felt like I wasdrowning.
I, um, I had worked really,really hard in my career to move
up as quick as I could and, andachieve some kind of status that
(02:13):
, um, I really kind of only puton myself.
Um, and it was, it wasmaterialistic, um, growing up,
you know, I've always, I wasalways looking at my friends
and, and what they had and youknow, what they were able to do
and comparing myself to, youknow, where they were and where
(02:35):
I felt I should be.
And, uh, that carried on throughmy adult life too.
And I don't know where this camefrom because I was not, um, I
was not raised poor or, um, youknow, in a, in a household where
that's what we use to measureourselves as material things.
(02:57):
I'm not sure how I attained thisviewpoint, but, um, I was always
comparing myself to where Ishould be.
And I had the sense ofentitlement where like I felt
like I was behind the eight ballor I was, I was not given the
same opportunities that myfriends and and others were.
(03:21):
And, um, so I just began thisprocess of trying to find a way
to make the most money that Ipossibly can make and the
shortest route possible.
And, um, it kind of went againstthe grain on what I was raised
about because my dad instilledone of the strongest work ethics
(03:42):
possible into me and my brother.
And, uh, he is absolutely thehardest working man I've ever
seen in my life.
And, um, so feeling like I, uh,I was able to cheat the system
or, or, you know, take shortcutsto get where I wanted to go.
I don't, I don't know where thatcame from cause it definitely
(04:02):
wasn't from him, but, um,anyway, I got a chance to get in
with a company that I worked fornow.
Um, and as soon as I got in, Imean there was a tremendous
amount of opportunity foranybody who, who showed any kind
of drive to move up veryquickly.
So I took it upon myself to dothat.
(04:24):
And so I just absolutely threwmyself into my career.
I, um, I would work extra hours,you know, sign up for overtime,
all everything I possibly do toget exposure and get experience
and an out shine those around mejust to get an opportunity to
move up.
And so, um, I was able to do alot of different things, you
(04:46):
know, early on in my career, uh,with my current company.
And um, one opportunity justprovided another opportunity but
not at some costs.
Um, when I first started theyear I started, um, I actually
started the week after my firstchild was born and um, I got
(05:08):
about three days with her beforeI had to go and start this brand
new job.
And from day one out of thegate, it was, I had to prove my
worth.
Um, I came in as a temporaryemployee and I had 90 days to,
to prove that I was worthkeeping.
And then once I got through that90 days, I got hired on from the
company out of the temp agencyand I had another 90 to again
(05:31):
prove my worth.
And so I, I threw everything Icould into that job because it
was a good opportunity.
It was great money and it wasgoing to save me and my family,
uh, from, you know, financialstruggle.
So that kind of started thiswhole thing.
And, um, it seemed like everytime I got an opportunity to get
(05:56):
a little bit more or get alittle bit more exposure, um, it
came with more time or morestress or more, uh, dedication
to being present there.
Um, and so very quickly intothat first year I went on shift
(06:17):
and was working swing shift.
So rotating from days to nightsand oftentimes putting in
anywhere from 70 to 80 hours aweek, you know, working, uh,
most, most times, five to sixdays pretty consistently and
sometimes even seven days a weekrotating.
And, um, it wore on me.
(06:38):
It, uh, it wore on mephysically.
Um, you know, anybody who's everworked shift, work, whole
understand the toll that, youknow, flipping from nights and
days takes on your body and yourmind to.
Um, but, uh, I just, I gotreally consumed with, um, you
know, putting in the time andgetting the experience, but it
(07:00):
was all with the excuse of, youknow, this is temporary.
You know, I've only had to dothis for a short period of time
to get the experience so I canmake it to the next level.
And I would, I was constantlyusing excuses like that.
And, um, I worked shift forabout two years, two and a half
years, and, um, got overlooked acouple times for some
(07:24):
opportunities, but, uh, it wasjust because I didn't have the
experience.
And, um, during that time we hadour second child and, um, this
type of lifestyle, um, reallytook a heavy toll on, on me and
my wife and our relationship.
(07:44):
Um, it took a toll on myspiritual relationship, um, and
I just found myself feelingreally lost, um, and alone.
Um, you know, I was aroundpeople all the time.
Um, and I was around my familywhen I was home, but I wasn't
(08:08):
never, I was never there.
I was either sleeping or fallingasleep.
Um, and I, I was missing a lotof my infants and toddlers lives
, um, by, by working theschedule and working on shift.
And so I came to a point wheremy wife and I sat down and I
(08:30):
just told her that I would startlooking for day shift
opportunities, but it probablywas going to come with a pay
cut.
And, um, at that point in timethat didn't matter.
Um, I just want in time with myfamily and I just wanted to be,
uh, around her and around mybabies.
(08:51):
And so, um, a time anopportunity came and I applied
for it and I ended up gettingit, which, uh, jumped into out
of operations into a, uh,environmental health and safety
role.
And, um, that was a beautifulday.
I remember it like it wasyesterday.
My wife and I were in the frontyard with our two kids and they
(09:14):
were running around in thesprinkler and, um, just being,
being silly.
And, uh, I got the call that,uh, the interview had gone well
and they wanted offer me theposition and I remember hanging
up that phone and just tearsstreaming down my face and, and
hugging my wife as tight as Icould and telling her that, uh,
(09:35):
you know, I did it, you know,and gotten, I've gotten to the
point where I'm on salary, I'moff of shift and this was going
to provide an opportunity for meto get into a higher paying role
and have the time to be there atnight with them and be able to
go church with them on Sundaysand Wednesdays and, and, um, be
(09:57):
at home to sleep in my bed withmy wife every night.
And, um, so I began that roleand um, everything was great for
about three months.
And then, um, anotheropportunity presented itself
that required more time and morededication, longer hours.
(10:20):
Um, but the promise was moremoney.
And so me following this passionthat I had to get us some kind
of lifestyle that we needed,that some kind of status that I
felt like I deserved jumped headon into that and began the exact
(10:42):
same thing that I just tried toescape by getting off of shift
only now it was, you know,working all the daylight hours
and coming home and kissing my,getting my kids getting height
or kissing them while they'realready asleep.
And I'm again just passing outand waking up the next day to do
it again.
(11:03):
Every conversation that I hadhad to do with work, every
stress or, or thing that upsetme had to do with work.
I had gotten to a point where Ihad a work phone and was needing
to monitor emails that camethrough, you know, um, to, to
(11:23):
see what the potential was, youknow, safety potential if we
needed to.
Um, dig into it a little bitmore and, and that timelines
began, you know, with certainevents that happen.
So I felt like I had to beattached to my phone and I was
for, uh, way too much, way toomuch.
(11:44):
And so, um, again, this kind ofwent on for some time.
Um, but an opportunity presenteditself, I had gotten the
experience that I needed to get,uh, interviewed for the position
and I ended up getting it.
And, uh, it was at another plantthat was further away.
(12:07):
It's actually two plants that Ioversaw and a lot more
responsibility, a lot moreexposure, not so much more
money, but, uh, you know, itwas, the potential was there
still, and, uh, so I took it andI jumped right in and continued
this downward spiral.
(12:28):
And, um, all along the waythroughout this process, I
pushed a lot of people away outof my life.
Um, friendships dried up andkind of went away and distance
was created.
Um, not because I didn't careabout these people just, but
(12:50):
because they were, um, not, notas important as my job at, at
the moment.
And, um, then I, every wakingmoment that I had outside of
work, I was dedicated to my, myimmediate family, my wife and my
kids.
But even when I was doing that,the quality of, of life, uh,
(13:11):
wasn't that great because Iwasn't that pleasant to be
around to be Frank.
Um, I was typically in a badmood or stressed out or
something or tired and so, um,probably wasn't the greatest
husband and most definitelywasn't the greatest dad, um, for
a period of time.
And, um, during the same timeperiod of pushing people and
(13:37):
things away.
Um, you know, I D I didn't feelclose to my church family cause
I was not really present when Iwas there, not involved.
And, um, also felt like I, Ididn't have any way of, um,
(13:58):
escaping anything, all, all ofthe hobbies or all the interests
that I had had over the years.
Um, I had turned intoentrepreneurial activities to
where they were going to bringin some extra money and
absolutely right now, uh, Ineeded to be bringing in extra
money.
And, um, so every waking momentI was doing something that was
(14:24):
dedicated to monetary gain.
And so 2017, it hit.
And, uh, that was the hardestyear I've ever had because that
is the hardest I've ever worked.
And that's also ironically theyear that I got the worst rating
(14:48):
I've ever gotten in my life.
And, uh, some of that waspolitics, but I think a lot of
that was because I was spreadtoo thin and I had too much on
my plate and very disorganizedat home and at work.
And, um, like I said, I justkinda hit a breaking point.
(15:09):
And so one night I sat down withmy wife and I, I just told her,
honey, I've got to do somethingdifferent.
I've, something's got to break.
And, uh, I can't keep doingthis.
I feel like every dime I'mmaking is already spent.
I feel like every, everyopportunity that I have to make
(15:31):
more money, it's not helping usget ahead.
It's, it's only causing morestrife between you and I.
And I feel like I'm stressed outall the times where I'm always
hollering at the kids for beingfrustrating or something and, uh
, I don't want to do thisanymore.
It's not worth it.
And, um, so I told her that I'mgoing to begin a process of
(15:57):
pushing a lot of stuff off of myplate.
Um, I'm going to be simplifyingmy life and starting out.
I've got to find some outlet.
I've got to find some way ofgetting an escape when I feel
overwhelmed and, and pushingthings out in that way.
(16:21):
Then letting them build upinside and then blowing up on
you and the kids.
And so, um, she agreed that thatwas something that I needed to
do and she supported me justlike the wonderful woman she is
as she supports me in everythingthat I do.
And, um, so I started thatprocess and um, this big event
(16:48):
came up for the years.
Like the one single thing I wasworking towards all year for w
for work that came and went, um,missed the Mark by just this
much.
And it was really devastatingbecause of how hard I worked.
But like I said, some politicswere involved there.
(17:09):
Um, but, uh, after that event, Ijust decompressed and took some
time to just figure out what Iwas going to do.
And, um, so I took some time andI sat and I thought about all
the things that I like to dogrowing up.
(17:29):
And I thought about some of mybest memories, um, you know,
camping out in my backyard, youknow, and my parents house and
um, taking trips to the river togo canoeing or kayaking.
And, um, I kept back to this onememory of, uh, going to Wiki
(17:54):
Wachee Springs, um, up in NorthFlorida.
And my buddy and I were with myfamily and we, we rented a
couple of kayaks and we had somuch fun just zipping all over
the river on those things andjumping out of trees and
swimming.
And, um, so I decided this,that's what I'm going to do.
(18:17):
So, uh, leading up to mybirthday, um, which is in
October, it's coming up.
Um, my, uh, my wife had askedme, you know, what I wanted to
do or what, what I wanted for mybirthday.
And I told her I just want moneyfrom anybody who's willing to
(18:38):
give me anything.
They were planning on giving meanything.
I just want some money to gotowards buying a kayak and
that's what I want to buy.
And, um, she said, all right.
And so she put the word out andmy family was very supportive
that year.
And, um, they, they contributedand I was able to get, uh, get a
little kayak.
And so in the process of doingthat, um, I was like, Oh, you
(19:03):
know what, man, it'd be soawesome to start getting some
like minimalist camping gear,you know, some small lightweight
stuff that I can pack into kayakand I can go on some river
camping trips and, you know,that'll be, that'd be awesome.
And so, um, I started looking onAmazon and online and trying to
(19:24):
come up with some, some wishlistand some, you know, shopping
lists for some different things,buying some accessories for my
kayak.
And, um, I just kinda stumbledacross, um, backpacking gear.
And, uh, I grew up growing up,man.
I hiked all the time and Ifished and camped and, um, but I
(19:46):
never got into backpacking forsome reason.
I never, it wasn't that itdidn't interest me, it just
wasn't on my radar.
And so, um, I, um, I got superstoked about that and was like,
man, I've got to start gettingsome of this gear.
And, um, you know, I can do somehike and camping trips and I can
(20:07):
do, um, I can do somebackpacking and I can also do,
um, my kayak camping and stuff.
So I started, started gettingsome gear.
And so over the next like sixmonths, um, after I turned 30,
you know, I, um, I continuedthis process of pushing stuff
off my plate at work and pushingmy, pushing some stuff off my
(20:28):
plate, extra things that I hadthat were distracting.
They were focused on purely justbringing in extra money.
And, um, instead of buying somemeals out, I would buy some
backpacking gear or some campinggear or something.
And any extra money that I madefrom, you know, my side gig and
doing t-shirts, then I would,uh, I'd throw at this camping
(20:52):
and hiking hobby.
And so, uh, a few months in, um,you know, I, I told my wife, I
was like, you know, I wouldreally like to do, uh, kind of a
multi-day trip sometime soon.
And, um, you know, once I getall the gear, I, I kind of want
to do a section, the Appalachiantrail or something like that,
you know.
(21:13):
And she was like, okay, youknow, that's crazy, but you
know, you, you do you, um, butyou know, she's like, well, if
that's something you want to do,then I'll support you.
And so, um, I kind of, I hadkept it in the back of my mind.
It wasn't something that waslike a burning desire right at
that moment, but it definitelywas something I wanted to
(21:35):
continue to think about and plan.
So, um, leading up to, um, aboutmidway through 2018, I had
gotten quite a bit of gear.
I'd gone on camping pretty muchevery chance I got.
Um, the cold weather that we haddown here in Florida and I found
(21:57):
a secret spot that I go to everynow and then.
It's close by the house and I'vetaken, took, you know, taken
several of my friends and familymembers with me there and, uh,
really just enjoyed itthoroughly.
Um, and it, it kind ofaccomplished, you know, what I
was, what I was wanting to dowith it.
And so, um, I was talking to mywife about all this and, you
(22:21):
know, I was just like, you know,I really, I really appreciate
the fact that you are allowingme to do this so much because
I'm already gone a lot from, youknow, day to day from work for
work and, um, you know, you gota lot on your plate.
I mean, at this point we've had,we had three kids.
Um, I know there's a patternhere.
(22:42):
They just keep, they keepcoming.
Um, but we had, we had threekids at the time and um, her and
I were, uh, we're doing prettywell with our relationship and
everything and she just so, sosupportive of this effort.
And she just owned me.
She said, Tim, I'm willing tolet you take the time to do this
(23:04):
now because it's an investmentin us.
It's an investment in our futurewith our kids.
And this is something that youcan fall in love with now and
learn and grow in and whenthey're old enough experience
the things that you love withyour kids who are starting to
love the same things.
(23:25):
Um, and so I really took that toheart and, um, kinda use that as
my motivation to, to keep going.
Not so much because I was losinginterest, but, but like built a
flame inside of me that like,she was absolutely right.
Like this is something that I, Ineed to get well versed in so
(23:48):
when my kids are old enough wecan do this and they can have
memories that are going to lasttheir lifetime.
And so, um, that kind ofcontinued my desire to do this
Appalachian trail trip and itbecame more of a burning desire
(24:09):
at that point, after thatconversation.
And so, um, it was still kind ofearly summertime, a little too
warm to do it.
Um, and I still, I needed a fewmore pieces of gear that I was
saving up for.
And so, um, around July, Augusttimeframe, um, I happened to be
(24:32):
talking to a buddy of mine atwork at the church.
And, um, he, uh, he was talkingto me about this camping spot
that I wanted to try out.
Um, he takes his families to hisfamily to every now and then,
and, um, we just got to talkingabout hiking and backpacking and
stuff, and he was like, Hey, um,you know, I've, I've done it
(24:56):
quite a bit, you know, but I'venever done, um, any like the
major trails or anything.
And I was like, well man, I'mreally wanting to do the
Appalachian trail or at leastpart of it, you know, would you
want to do a section of it withme?
And he's like, yeah, you know,that sounds like a blast.
I've never done it before.
I've done hiking similar to it,but I've never done it.
I've always wanted to.
So yeah, that'd be cool.
Just let me know kind of whenyou're wanting to do it.
(25:18):
So I kept that in the back of mymind and kept prepping for this
trip.
And, uh, so I remember one dayspecifically, I was sitting at
my dining room table and my wifewas in the kitchen to my left
washing dishes and I had the mapspread out on the table.
I was measuring out my route andI was calculating the mileage
(25:40):
between shelters and kind oflaying out what I would do each
day.
And, um, I just stopped what Iwas doing.
And I looked up at her and shewas like, what?
And I said, Hey mom, I'm doingit.
And she's like, what are youtalking about?
And I said, I'm accomplishing agoal.
(26:02):
And she goes, okay.
And some of you are probablysaying, okay, what's the big
deal?
You know, like people accomplishgoals all the time, you know,
but for me, if you know me andof course are close to me, then
you know, that thoseopportunities have not been very
(26:24):
regular in my life.
And I'm very often, um, veryoften coming up with big plans
and I'm a dreamer.
I'm a big thinker, but veryrarely do I see something to
fruition.
(26:44):
And that's a fancy way of sayingthat I'm a quitter.
And that's a really hard thingfor me to admit.
That's a really hard thing forme to say, but it's a fact, um,
and throughout my life in a lotof different things.
Um, as soon as it got tough, for, as soon as it got to a point
where I needed to do something,um, to continue to push on, I
(27:13):
would just give up.
And, um, so this was a big dealto me.
It was emotional.
It was something that I wasabsolutely going to see all the
way through because I hadn'tnever done that before.
And because of what I hadmentioned about my kids and this
being an investment in ourfuture, I was absolutely gonna
(27:37):
make it happen.
And so, um, mapped out my route.
Uh, I talked to John again and,uh, I just, I told him that, uh,
you know, I, if you can makethis work, this is something I
really want to do.
And um, he had to bend overbackwards to, to, to make it
(27:58):
happen.
Um, pulled some strings and gotsome extra vacation and this guy
went above and beyond for me.
Um, I know that I expressed thisto him, but he probably won't
realize it until he sees this orhears this.
But my wife pretty much told me,if you can't get somebody to go
(28:20):
with you, you're, you can't takethis trip.
Like I don't want you doing thisby yourself for the first time.
And she was absolutely right tosay that, um, because I
definitely was getting in overmy head for sure.
But, um, John, I mean herearranged his vacation and he
(28:40):
even went so far as to lettingus stay at his family's cabin up
there in North Carolina and havehis mom who lived up there drive
us to drop us off and pick us upoff the trail.
And, um, it just, it meant theworld to me that, that he did
that and helped me accomplishthis goal.
(29:01):
And so we leading up to thatpoint where we took this trip,
um, this whole journey that I'vebeen explaining for the last
hour alone, um, was reallyinspiring to me and I was kind
of watching things unfold as Iwas going through this process
and just thinking to myselflike, something, something
(29:26):
special is happening to me rightnow.
Um, my, my outlook is changing.
My attitude is changing, my lifeis changing for the better.
And, um, I've had this lifelongdream, I guess you could say.
I guess it's an aspiration andso much a dream, but I've always
(29:48):
wanted to write a book and I'venever had the content to fill it
up.
But, um, I felt like thistransformation that I was going
through was inspiring enough tome that it might be interesting
for others as well.
So, um, I started the manuscriptfor this, this book, and I'm
(30:13):
leading up to the trip to theAppalachian trail.
Um, I kinda got some informationcranked out and um, that trip
was like the turning point tolike complete that story and,
and continue it on.
And so it was not only anopportunity to get, to
(30:34):
accomplish a goal, you know, forme and my kids, but it also was
a way to help me kind of fulfillthis other aspiration that I
have to become an author.
And so that was really cool.
Everything about that from, youknow, mid 2017 to about October
of 2018 was really cool.
(30:56):
It changed me in a lot ofdifferent ways for the better, I
believe.
Um, my wife saw a lot of changesin benefits to, to this new
direction I was going and mykids had a happy daddy, um, and
someone who was excited, um,about life again and not
(31:17):
stressed out to the max.
And, um, and so the, that allthat was really cool.
Um, and so after the trip, whenI got back, um, you know, it was
cold enough here to startcamping again.
And so I got a lot more tripsunder my belt when I got back
here and, um, all the waythrough the end of the year.
(31:42):
And another pivotal point, um,was new year's day of 2019.
And, um, I'll never forget that.
I sat straight up in bed at 4:00AM and my mind was just racing,
just thoughts all over the placeabout this thing that my wife
(32:03):
and I had talked about, aboutinvesting in my future for my
kids and for our family.
And I was thinking, you know, abook is cool, but I want to
document this in a different waybecause a lot can get lost in,
in a book.
(32:24):
Um, and I want something likealmost in real time to document,
uh, kind of what I'm goingthrough because I mean, like I
said, I've, I've hiked and I'vecamped and done outdoor stuff my
whole life, but I never been abackpacker or like a through
hiker or anything like that.
And so all this was new to me,you know, to get into gear and,
(32:46):
and learning about acquiringpermits and like, you know,
planning trips by mileage andgetting your weight down in your
packs and, and getting certaindifferent types of freeze dried
food that you can boil water andeat on the trail or snacks to
get you through.
And, and you know, waterpurification and all this stuff
(33:09):
that like, yeah, I'm knownabout, but I've never like dove
into, you know.
And uh, so I had this idea forthe trail connection and at the
time I did not have a name.
I just knew I wanted to do apodcast, a video podcast, to
kind of document my journey onsharing experiences with more
(33:35):
experienced people and learningand exploring and just capturing
this incredible journey that I'mon right now.
So that one day my kids canwatch it and see that dad was
going through a really hard timein life, but he turned it
(33:56):
around.
He found something to help withthat.
And it wasn't something that healready knew how to do.
This was something he had tolearn and he threw himself into
it.
And this is how he taughthimself, you know, are taught,
learned from others to get toaccomplish a goal that he set.
(34:22):
And so what does the trailconnection?
The trail connection is myjourney to someplace beautiful.
And like I mentioned, I don't, Idon't want to just get there and
show you what I found.
(34:42):
I want to show you how I builtit brick by brick and how I got
there step-by-step.
So that if you're at the samepoint in your journey on
[inaudible] and you are tryingto learn and it's intimidating
and it's uh, it's difficult tofind information that doesn't
(35:06):
intimidate you or anything likethat, then come along with me
and let's learn together andlet's share from the experiences
of those that have been thatbeen through the trails before,
been down this path before andhelp use them as a guide to, to
(35:27):
answer those questions that wehave and, and show what really
awesome things are out there.
And I want to use the trailconnection as a way to connect
with God, connect with nature,connect with my family, connect
with friends, old and new andall through a common interest in
(35:52):
the love for the outdoors andbeing outside and experiencing
the beauty that we live near andeven places far away and
document that journey.
And so I am super excited to bebringing you along with me
(36:15):
tonight.
I am filming from my backyardand the intent was to have my
kids camping in a tent rightbehind me while I shot this.
But because we live in Floridaand it's mid September and the
weather's not cooperating, I gotthem posted up inside.
But otherwise they would be outhere with me.
(36:36):
I'm soaking it up and listeningto the bats and the owls and the
crickets and everything else,all the other ambience that's in
my neighborhood that youprobably picking up on this
recording.
But I'm excited for what, whatthis project is all about and
(36:57):
I'm excited about the journeythat I'm beginning tonight and
I'm excited to bring you alongwith me.
And I hope that you share thatsame excitement and you're
intrigued by this concept, uh,that it makes you want to follow
along and join in.
So if you haven't already, I'mgoing to give my shameful pitch
(37:19):
here.
Now.
I, I've got just about everysocial media account you could
have.
I've got Instagram, Facebook,Twitter, uh, we're on YouTube
and if you haven't yet, go checkout our pages.
Give us a, like, give us afollow, um, you know, subscribe
to the YouTube channel so youcan see these video episodes.
(37:40):
As soon as they come out, we'regoing to be putting out some
other content as well.
And also, um, there's somethingelse that, uh, I think is really
cool that we're gonna be doing.
Um, and we've got a, a Patrionaccount set up.
So if you don't know what thatis, I'm not going to take the
time right this minute toexplain it, but you should go
(38:02):
check it out.
Um, it's a patrion.com/trailconnection and you can find us
and there's some really coolpackages there that you can
subscribe to that will give yousome exclusive content and some
insight information.
And it'll also help carry thisthing along a little bit.
(38:22):
So, um, I appreciate everysingle one of you that have
taken the time to tune in andlisten or watch or follow.
And everyone who's alreadysupported me that haven't,
hasn't heard anything yet,they've only seen some pictures
that I've put up with some, youknow, thoughtful remarks in the
caption.
(38:43):
Um, but I do really appreciateevery single one of you who's
taken the time to listen to thisbecause it's something that I'm
very passionate about andsomething that I will be pushing
so hard to make successfulbecause I believe in it.
So thank you so much for tuningin.
I want to give a special shoutout to chase Hayley for letting
(39:07):
me borrow his GoPro and also fora to Seth Ryan for letting me
borrow his VI, his audiorecorder to get these first
couple of episodes recordeduntil I can kind of get some
things going.
So big thanks to those guys.
I really appreciate it.
And again, thanks to everybodywho is supporting me, uh, my
(39:27):
wife and my children, you'd kindof understand what's going on.
Um, and both sides of my family,um, both my, my parents and, and
, and my wife's parents.
So thank you so much and um,check back in a couple of weeks
for episode two.
And, uh, thanks again for tuningin.
(39:49):
This is the trail connection.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
Okay.
So after reviewing the tape alittle bit, there were a couple
things that didn't really comeout as clear as I wanted them to
in this first take, um, for ouror original podcast.
And, um, I just want to makesure that that information is,
is, uh, distributed.
Cause I know this is my firstopportunity to introduce myself
(40:13):
to everyone and I don't want themessage to get lost.
So just to clear up a little bit, uh, what the trail connection
is.
So I found that through campingand hiking and getting outdoors
was a way of me finding myselfagain, reconnecting to like my
(40:33):
core and my passion.
Um, but that not, that might notbe necessarily what you find,
um, as an activity to, toreconnect.
And so I don't want to alienatethose folks that, that may
relate to the message, but theydon't find that same passion
through, um, being outdoors.
(40:55):
Um, I would encourage it becauseI think that being outdoors is
really healthy and, and uh, foryour mind and your body.
Um, but again, that was justsomething that I found to be
very helpful for me to, um, kindof pull myself out of the rat
race and really reprioritizewhat was most important in my
(41:16):
life, which is my family and,you know, my, uh, my spiritual
walk and all of that stuff that,that needs to be at the core.
Um, what I'm focused on.
And you know, I've, I believe inhard work, I believe in
dedicating yourself to your job,but there has to be a balance.
How much you throw at that andhow much you are able to, uh,
(41:38):
walk away sometimes and justrecharge and get rejuvenated.
And so again, for me it's, it'sbeing outdoors and, and
connecting with nature and, andall of that.
So the trail connection is justthis passion that I have to
balance my life.
(41:58):
And, um, I think that others canrelate to that message.
I think that, um, you know,whether it be through just
taking a short hike or a walksomewhere outside or, um, you
know, whatever, whatever it maybe, you, you might have
something that they are verypassionate about.
I just, I want you to beencouraged to get connected with
(42:21):
that.
And so, um, for those of you whoare interested in the outdoors
and find the same passion andthe same, um, revitalization, I
guess you want to call it, um,by being outdoors and doing
things like this and beingadventurous and exploring and,
and, um, just connecting withnature, then I would absolutely
(42:43):
encourage you to continuefollowing along with me and
follow me on my journey nomatter what stage you're at.
Um, whether you've been hikingfor six months or 60 years, um,
you know, I would encourage youto follow along and, and join me
within, in this, in this journeythat I'm on.
Uh, so in future episodes, whatcan you expect?
(43:05):
Um, we're going to besystematically, including more
and more, uh, influences intothis show as we progressed.
So this next episode thatthat'll be coming out in a
couple of weeks, it will be meby myself again, but it'll show
kind of, um, the area that I, Ifound of my escape to.
Um, I'm gonna take you guys tomy secret spot and, uh, kinda
(43:29):
show you my site set up, showyou how I, how I, um, talk about
this type of meal that I willprepare when I'm out there by
myself.
And then, um, just kind of touchon again, the importance of
being out there and sometimes insolitude to, uh, to really, uh,
rejuvenate and reconnect.
(43:49):
So that's going to be the nextepisode and then it'll continue
to build.
So third, a third and fourth andfifth we'll be starting to add
in additional parties, peoplebringing in other people to
contribute and that these typesof episodes are going to be a
lot more conversational based.
Um, and really what I'm lookingfor is just a campfire
discussion, just talking andhanging out and connecting with
(44:13):
one another and uh, and justexplaining experiences and
preferences and all differentkinds of stuff like that.
It's not going to be really mytake as an authority on any of
stuff because it's still prettynew to me.
Um, but I'm also going to bedrawing a lot of feedback and
information from, from folks whohave been doing it for a long
time or who have maybe had somereally cool experiences that we
(44:36):
want to share.
And so that's the plan.
Um, so if that type of stuffinterests you, then absolutely
hit the subscribe button, hitthe follow button and every
single time we post outsomething, you guys will be the
first to know it.
Um, plan on releasing an episodeevery two weeks, um, for the
first season.
(44:57):
And, uh, we're going to be doinga lot of cool stuff.
We're gonna be doing some rivercamping trips.
We're going to be doing somebeach camping trips.
We're going to be doing, uh,sections of the Appalachian
trail and, uh, really lookingforward towards the end of the
season.
Um, we're going to be trying togo out West for the first time
for me and I'll be teaming upwith some folks who had been out
there several times before, uh,to bring you guys some really
(45:20):
incredible content.
So I'm looking forward to it andI hope that you guys are
interested in following along.
And, um, thank you so much againfor tuning in for this first
podcast ever of the trailconnection.
And I am so pumped to beconnected to you guys and to
push through on this journey.
(45:44):
[inaudible].
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Everyone's bound to get lost sometimes, but often
the journey back provides viewsthat you wouldn't have gotten a
chance to see otherwise.
I'm Tim Garland and this is thetrail connection podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
[inaudible] [inaudible][inaudible]
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I want to take you guys back to the year 2017.
It's pretty significant year inmy life because, uh, that was
the year I was turning 30, butit was also coincidentally one
of the most challenging years ofmy life, not because of
anything, you know, crazy.
(01:11):
Um, you know, no trauma or, um,you know, a major life changing
event other than the fact that,uh, I had gotten to a point in
my life where I was reallyoverwhelmed and, um, had gotten
(01:32):
down a path that I didn't wantto go down anymore.
2017 was a, was a year that Iwas turning 30, and I guess you
could say I was going through aquarter life crisis or whatever,
whenever you want to call it.
(01:52):
Um, I had gotten to a pointwhere I had so much on my plate
that I was, I felt like I wasdrowning.
I, um, I had worked really,really hard in my career to move
up as quick as I could and, andachieve some kind of status that
(02:13):
, um, I really kind of only puton myself.
Um, and it was, it wasmaterialistic, um, growing up,
you know, I've always, I wasalways looking at my friends
and, and what they had and youknow, what they were able to do
and comparing myself to, youknow, where they were and where
(02:35):
I felt I should be.
And, uh, that carried on throughmy adult life too.
And I don't know where this camefrom because I was not, um, I
was not raised poor or, um, youknow, in a, in a household where
that's what we use to measureourselves as material things.
(02:57):
I'm not sure how I attained thisviewpoint, but, um, I was always
comparing myself to where Ishould be.
And I had the sense ofentitlement where like I felt
like I was behind the eight ballor I was, I was not given the
same opportunities that myfriends and and others were.
(03:21):
And, um, so I just began thisprocess of trying to find a way
to make the most money that Ipossibly can make and the
shortest route possible.
And, um, it kind of went againstthe grain on what I was raised
about because my dad instilledone of the strongest work ethics
(03:42):
possible into me and my brother.
And, uh, he is absolutely thehardest working man I've ever
seen in my life.
And, um, so feeling like I, uh,I was able to cheat the system
or, or, you know, take shortcutsto get where I wanted to go.
I don't, I don't know where thatcame from cause it definitely
(04:02):
wasn't from him, but, um,anyway, I got a chance to get in
with a company that I worked fornow.
Um, and as soon as I got in, Imean there was a tremendous
amount of opportunity foranybody who, who showed any kind
of drive to move up veryquickly.
So I took it upon myself to dothat.
(04:24):
And so I just absolutely threwmyself into my career.
I, um, I would work extra hours,you know, sign up for overtime,
all everything I possibly do toget exposure and get experience
and an out shine those around mejust to get an opportunity to
move up.
And so, um, I was able to do alot of different things, you
(04:46):
know, early on in my career, uh,with my current company.
And um, one opportunity justprovided another opportunity but
not at some costs.
Um, when I first started theyear I started, um, I actually
started the week after my firstchild was born and um, I got
(05:08):
about three days with her beforeI had to go and start this brand
new job.
And from day one out of thegate, it was, I had to prove my
worth.
Um, I came in as a temporaryemployee and I had 90 days to,
to prove that I was worthkeeping.
And then once I got through that90 days, I got hired on from the
company out of the temp agencyand I had another 90 to again
(05:31):
prove my worth.
And so I, I threw everything Icould into that job because it
was a good opportunity.
It was great money and it wasgoing to save me and my family,
uh, from, you know, financialstruggle.
So that kind of started thiswhole thing.
And, um, it seemed like everytime I got an opportunity to get
(05:56):
a little bit more or get alittle bit more exposure, um, it
came with more time or morestress or more, uh, dedication
to being present there.
Um, and so very quickly intothat first year I went on shift
(06:17):
and was working swing shift.
So rotating from days to nightsand oftentimes putting in
anywhere from 70 to 80 hours aweek, you know, working, uh,
most, most times, five to sixdays pretty consistently and
sometimes even seven days a weekrotating.
And, um, it wore on me.
(06:38):
It, uh, it wore on mephysically.
Um, you know, anybody who's everworked shift, work, whole
understand the toll that, youknow, flipping from nights and
days takes on your body and yourmind to.
Um, but, uh, I just, I gotreally consumed with, um, you
know, putting in the time andgetting the experience, but it
(07:00):
was all with the excuse of, youknow, this is temporary.
You know, I've only had to dothis for a short period of time
to get the experience so I canmake it to the next level.
And I would, I was constantlyusing excuses like that.
And, um, I worked shift forabout two years, two and a half
years, and, um, got overlooked acouple times for some
(07:24):
opportunities, but, uh, it wasjust because I didn't have the
experience.
And, um, during that time we hadour second child and, um, this
type of lifestyle, um, reallytook a heavy toll on, on me and
my wife and our relationship.
(07:44):
Um, it took a toll on myspiritual relationship, um, and
I just found myself feelingreally lost, um, and alone.
Um, you know, I was aroundpeople all the time.
Um, and I was around my familywhen I was home, but I wasn't
(08:08):
never, I was never there.
I was either sleeping or fallingasleep.
Um, and I, I was missing a lotof my infants and toddlers lives
, um, by, by working theschedule and working on shift.
And so I came to a point wheremy wife and I sat down and I
(08:30):
just told her that I would startlooking for day shift
opportunities, but it probablywas going to come with a pay
cut.
And, um, at that point in timethat didn't matter.
Um, I just want in time with myfamily and I just wanted to be,
uh, around her and around mybabies.
(08:51):
And so, um, a time anopportunity came and I applied
for it and I ended up gettingit, which, uh, jumped into out
of operations into a, uh,environmental health and safety
role.
And, um, that was a beautifulday.
I remember it like it wasyesterday.
My wife and I were in the frontyard with our two kids and they
(09:14):
were running around in thesprinkler and, um, just being,
being silly.
And, uh, I got the call that,uh, the interview had gone well
and they wanted offer me theposition and I remember hanging
up that phone and just tearsstreaming down my face and, and
hugging my wife as tight as Icould and telling her that, uh,
(09:35):
you know, I did it, you know,and gotten, I've gotten to the
point where I'm on salary, I'moff of shift and this was going
to provide an opportunity for meto get into a higher paying role
and have the time to be there atnight with them and be able to
go church with them on Sundaysand Wednesdays and, and, um, be
(09:57):
at home to sleep in my bed withmy wife every night.
And, um, so I began that roleand um, everything was great for
about three months.
And then, um, anotheropportunity presented itself
that required more time and morededication, longer hours.
(10:20):
Um, but the promise was moremoney.
And so me following this passionthat I had to get us some kind
of lifestyle that we needed,that some kind of status that I
felt like I deserved jumped headon into that and began the exact
(10:42):
same thing that I just tried toescape by getting off of shift
only now it was, you know,working all the daylight hours
and coming home and kissing my,getting my kids getting height
or kissing them while they'realready asleep.
And I'm again just passing outand waking up the next day to do
it again.
(11:03):
Every conversation that I hadhad to do with work, every
stress or, or thing that upsetme had to do with work.
I had gotten to a point where Ihad a work phone and was needing
to monitor emails that camethrough, you know, um, to, to
(11:23):
see what the potential was, youknow, safety potential if we
needed to.
Um, dig into it a little bitmore and, and that timelines
began, you know, with certainevents that happen.
So I felt like I had to beattached to my phone and I was
for, uh, way too much, way toomuch.
(11:44):
And so, um, again, this kind ofwent on for some time.
Um, but an opportunity presenteditself, I had gotten the
experience that I needed to get,uh, interviewed for the position
and I ended up getting it.
And, uh, it was at another plantthat was further away.
(12:07):
It's actually two plants that Ioversaw and a lot more
responsibility, a lot moreexposure, not so much more
money, but, uh, you know, itwas, the potential was there
still, and, uh, so I took it andI jumped right in and continued
this downward spiral.
(12:28):
And, um, all along the waythroughout this process, I
pushed a lot of people away outof my life.
Um, friendships dried up andkind of went away and distance
was created.
Um, not because I didn't careabout these people just, but
(12:50):
because they were, um, not, notas important as my job at, at
the moment.
And, um, then I, every wakingmoment that I had outside of
work, I was dedicated to my, myimmediate family, my wife and my
kids.
But even when I was doing that,the quality of, of life, uh,
(13:11):
wasn't that great because Iwasn't that pleasant to be
around to be Frank.
Um, I was typically in a badmood or stressed out or
something or tired and so, um,probably wasn't the greatest
husband and most definitelywasn't the greatest dad, um, for
a period of time.
And, um, during the same timeperiod of pushing people and
(13:37):
things away.
Um, you know, I D I didn't feelclose to my church family cause
I was not really present when Iwas there, not involved.
And, um, also felt like I, Ididn't have any way of, um,
(13:58):
escaping anything, all, all ofthe hobbies or all the interests
that I had had over the years.
Um, I had turned intoentrepreneurial activities to
where they were going to bringin some extra money and
absolutely right now, uh, Ineeded to be bringing in extra
money.
And, um, so every waking momentI was doing something that was
(14:24):
dedicated to monetary gain.
And so 2017, it hit.
And, uh, that was the hardestyear I've ever had because that
is the hardest I've ever worked.
And that's also ironically theyear that I got the worst rating
(14:48):
I've ever gotten in my life.
And, uh, some of that waspolitics, but I think a lot of
that was because I was spreadtoo thin and I had too much on
my plate and very disorganizedat home and at work.
And, um, like I said, I justkinda hit a breaking point.
(15:09):
And so one night I sat down withmy wife and I, I just told her,
honey, I've got to do somethingdifferent.
I've, something's got to break.
And, uh, I can't keep doingthis.
I feel like every dime I'mmaking is already spent.
I feel like every, everyopportunity that I have to make
(15:31):
more money, it's not helping usget ahead.
It's, it's only causing morestrife between you and I.
And I feel like I'm stressed outall the times where I'm always
hollering at the kids for beingfrustrating or something and, uh
, I don't want to do thisanymore.
It's not worth it.
And, um, so I told her that I'mgoing to begin a process of
(15:57):
pushing a lot of stuff off of myplate.
Um, I'm going to be simplifyingmy life and starting out.
I've got to find some outlet.
I've got to find some way ofgetting an escape when I feel
overwhelmed and, and pushingthings out in that way.
(16:21):
Then letting them build upinside and then blowing up on
you and the kids.
And so, um, she agreed that thatwas something that I needed to
do and she supported me justlike the wonderful woman she is
as she supports me in everythingthat I do.
And, um, so I started thatprocess and um, this big event
(16:48):
came up for the years.
Like the one single thing I wasworking towards all year for w
for work that came and went, um,missed the Mark by just this
much.
And it was really devastatingbecause of how hard I worked.
But like I said, some politicswere involved there.
(17:09):
Um, but, uh, after that event, Ijust decompressed and took some
time to just figure out what Iwas going to do.
And, um, so I took some time andI sat and I thought about all
the things that I like to dogrowing up.
(17:29):
And I thought about some of mybest memories, um, you know,
camping out in my backyard, youknow, and my parents house and
um, taking trips to the river togo canoeing or kayaking.
And, um, I kept back to this onememory of, uh, going to Wiki
(17:54):
Wachee Springs, um, up in NorthFlorida.
And my buddy and I were with myfamily and we, we rented a
couple of kayaks and we had somuch fun just zipping all over
the river on those things andjumping out of trees and
swimming.
And, um, so I decided this,that's what I'm going to do.
(18:17):
So, uh, leading up to mybirthday, um, which is in
October, it's coming up.
Um, my, uh, my wife had askedme, you know, what I wanted to
do or what, what I wanted for mybirthday.
And I told her I just want moneyfrom anybody who's willing to
(18:38):
give me anything.
They were planning on giving meanything.
I just want some money to gotowards buying a kayak and
that's what I want to buy.
And, um, she said, all right.
And so she put the word out andmy family was very supportive
that year.
And, um, they, they contributedand I was able to get, uh, get a
little kayak.
And so in the process of doingthat, um, I was like, Oh, you
(19:03):
know what, man, it'd be soawesome to start getting some
like minimalist camping gear,you know, some small lightweight
stuff that I can pack into kayakand I can go on some river
camping trips and, you know,that'll be, that'd be awesome.
And so, um, I started looking onAmazon and online and trying to
(19:24):
come up with some, some wishlistand some, you know, shopping
lists for some different things,buying some accessories for my
kayak.
And, um, I just kinda stumbledacross, um, backpacking gear.
And, uh, I grew up growing up,man.
I hiked all the time and Ifished and camped and, um, but I
(19:46):
never got into backpacking forsome reason.
I never, it wasn't that itdidn't interest me, it just
wasn't on my radar.
And so, um, I, um, I got superstoked about that and was like,
man, I've got to start gettingsome of this gear.
And, um, you know, I can do somehike and camping trips and I can
(20:07):
do, um, I can do somebackpacking and I can also do,
um, my kayak camping and stuff.
So I started, started gettingsome gear.
And so over the next like sixmonths, um, after I turned 30,
you know, I, um, I continuedthis process of pushing stuff
off my plate at work and pushingmy, pushing some stuff off my
(20:28):
plate, extra things that I hadthat were distracting.
They were focused on purely justbringing in extra money.
And, um, instead of buying somemeals out, I would buy some
backpacking gear or some campinggear or something.
And any extra money that I madefrom, you know, my side gig and
doing t-shirts, then I would,uh, I'd throw at this camping
(20:52):
and hiking hobby.
And so, uh, a few months in, um,you know, I, I told my wife, I
was like, you know, I wouldreally like to do, uh, kind of a
multi-day trip sometime soon.
And, um, you know, once I getall the gear, I, I kind of want
to do a section, the Appalachiantrail or something like that,
you know.
(21:13):
And she was like, okay, youknow, that's crazy, but you
know, you, you do you, um, butyou know, she's like, well, if
that's something you want to do,then I'll support you.
And so, um, I kind of, I hadkept it in the back of my mind.
It wasn't something that waslike a burning desire right at
that moment, but it definitelywas something I wanted to
(21:35):
continue to think about and plan.
So, um, leading up to, um, aboutmidway through 2018, I had
gotten quite a bit of gear.
I'd gone on camping pretty muchevery chance I got.
Um, the cold weather that we haddown here in Florida and I found
(21:57):
a secret spot that I go to everynow and then.
It's close by the house and I'vetaken, took, you know, taken
several of my friends and familymembers with me there and, uh,
really just enjoyed itthoroughly.
Um, and it, it kind ofaccomplished, you know, what I
was, what I was wanting to dowith it.
And so, um, I was talking to mywife about all this and, you
(22:21):
know, I was just like, you know,I really, I really appreciate
the fact that you are allowingme to do this so much because
I'm already gone a lot from, youknow, day to day from work for
work and, um, you know, you gota lot on your plate.
I mean, at this point we've had,we had three kids.
Um, I know there's a patternhere.
(22:42):
They just keep, they keepcoming.
Um, but we had, we had threekids at the time and um, her and
I were, uh, we're doing prettywell with our relationship and
everything and she just so, sosupportive of this effort.
And she just owned me.
She said, Tim, I'm willing tolet you take the time to do this
(23:04):
now because it's an investmentin us.
It's an investment in our futurewith our kids.
And this is something that youcan fall in love with now and
learn and grow in and whenthey're old enough experience
the things that you love withyour kids who are starting to
love the same things.
(23:25):
Um, and so I really took that toheart and, um, kinda use that as
my motivation to, to keep going.
Not so much because I was losinginterest, but, but like built a
flame inside of me that like,she was absolutely right.
Like this is something that I, Ineed to get well versed in so
(23:48):
when my kids are old enough wecan do this and they can have
memories that are going to lasttheir lifetime.
And so, um, that kind ofcontinued my desire to do this
Appalachian trail trip and itbecame more of a burning desire
(24:09):
at that point, after thatconversation.
And so, um, it was still kind ofearly summertime, a little too
warm to do it.
Um, and I still, I needed a fewmore pieces of gear that I was
saving up for.
And so, um, around July, Augusttimeframe, um, I happened to be
(24:32):
talking to a buddy of mine atwork at the church.
And, um, he, uh, he was talkingto me about this camping spot
that I wanted to try out.
Um, he takes his families to hisfamily to every now and then,
and, um, we just got to talkingabout hiking and backpacking and
stuff, and he was like, Hey, um,you know, I've, I've done it
(24:56):
quite a bit, you know, but I'venever done, um, any like the
major trails or anything.
And I was like, well man, I'mreally wanting to do the
Appalachian trail or at leastpart of it, you know, would you
want to do a section of it withme?
And he's like, yeah, you know,that sounds like a blast.
I've never done it before.
I've done hiking similar to it,but I've never done it.
I've always wanted to.
So yeah, that'd be cool.
Just let me know kind of whenyou're wanting to do it.
(25:18):
So I kept that in the back of mymind and kept prepping for this
trip.
And, uh, so I remember one dayspecifically, I was sitting at
my dining room table and my wifewas in the kitchen to my left
washing dishes and I had the mapspread out on the table.
I was measuring out my route andI was calculating the mileage
(25:40):
between shelters and kind oflaying out what I would do each
day.
And, um, I just stopped what Iwas doing.
And I looked up at her and shewas like, what?
And I said, Hey mom, I'm doingit.
And she's like, what are youtalking about?
And I said, I'm accomplishing agoal.
(26:02):
And she goes, okay.
And some of you are probablysaying, okay, what's the big
deal?
You know, like people accomplishgoals all the time, you know,
but for me, if you know me andof course are close to me, then
you know, that thoseopportunities have not been very
(26:24):
regular in my life.
And I'm very often, um, veryoften coming up with big plans
and I'm a dreamer.
I'm a big thinker, but veryrarely do I see something to
fruition.
(26:44):
And that's a fancy way of sayingthat I'm a quitter.
And that's a really hard thingfor me to admit.
That's a really hard thing forme to say, but it's a fact, um,
and throughout my life in a lotof different things.
Um, as soon as it got tough, for, as soon as it got to a point
where I needed to do something,um, to continue to push on, I
(27:13):
would just give up.
And, um, so this was a big dealto me.
It was emotional.
It was something that I wasabsolutely going to see all the
way through because I hadn'tnever done that before.
And because of what I hadmentioned about my kids and this
being an investment in ourfuture, I was absolutely gonna
(27:37):
make it happen.
And so, um, mapped out my route.
Uh, I talked to John again and,uh, I just, I told him that, uh,
you know, I, if you can makethis work, this is something I
really want to do.
And um, he had to bend overbackwards to, to, to make it
(27:58):
happen.
Um, pulled some strings and gotsome extra vacation and this guy
went above and beyond for me.
Um, I know that I expressed thisto him, but he probably won't
realize it until he sees this orhears this.
But my wife pretty much told me,if you can't get somebody to go
(28:20):
with you, you're, you can't takethis trip.
Like I don't want you doing thisby yourself for the first time.
And she was absolutely right tosay that, um, because I
definitely was getting in overmy head for sure.
But, um, John, I mean herearranged his vacation and he
(28:40):
even went so far as to lettingus stay at his family's cabin up
there in North Carolina and havehis mom who lived up there drive
us to drop us off and pick us upoff the trail.
And, um, it just, it meant theworld to me that, that he did
that and helped me accomplishthis goal.
(29:01):
And so we leading up to thatpoint where we took this trip,
um, this whole journey that I'vebeen explaining for the last
hour alone, um, was reallyinspiring to me and I was kind
of watching things unfold as Iwas going through this process
and just thinking to myselflike, something, something
(29:26):
special is happening to me rightnow.
Um, my, my outlook is changing.
My attitude is changing, my lifeis changing for the better.
And, um, I've had this lifelongdream, I guess you could say.
I guess it's an aspiration andso much a dream, but I've always
(29:48):
wanted to write a book and I'venever had the content to fill it
up.
But, um, I felt like thistransformation that I was going
through was inspiring enough tome that it might be interesting
for others as well.
So, um, I started the manuscriptfor this, this book, and I'm
(30:13):
leading up to the trip to theAppalachian trail.
Um, I kinda got some informationcranked out and um, that trip
was like the turning point tolike complete that story and,
and continue it on.
And so it was not only anopportunity to get, to
(30:34):
accomplish a goal, you know, forme and my kids, but it also was
a way to help me kind of fulfillthis other aspiration that I
have to become an author.
And so that was really cool.
Everything about that from, youknow, mid 2017 to about October
of 2018 was really cool.
(30:56):
It changed me in a lot ofdifferent ways for the better, I
believe.
Um, my wife saw a lot of changesin benefits to, to this new
direction I was going and mykids had a happy daddy, um, and
someone who was excited, um,about life again and not
(31:17):
stressed out to the max.
And, um, and so the, that allthat was really cool.
Um, and so after the trip, whenI got back, um, you know, it was
cold enough here to startcamping again.
And so I got a lot more tripsunder my belt when I got back
here and, um, all the waythrough the end of the year.
(31:42):
And another pivotal point, um,was new year's day of 2019.
And, um, I'll never forget that.
I sat straight up in bed at 4:00AM and my mind was just racing,
just thoughts all over the placeabout this thing that my wife
(32:03):
and I had talked about, aboutinvesting in my future for my
kids and for our family.
And I was thinking, you know, abook is cool, but I want to
document this in a different waybecause a lot can get lost in,
in a book.
(32:24):
Um, and I want something likealmost in real time to document,
uh, kind of what I'm goingthrough because I mean, like I
said, I've, I've hiked and I'vecamped and done outdoor stuff my
whole life, but I never been abackpacker or like a through
hiker or anything like that.
And so all this was new to me,you know, to get into gear and,
(32:46):
and learning about acquiringpermits and like, you know,
planning trips by mileage andgetting your weight down in your
packs and, and getting certaindifferent types of freeze dried
food that you can boil water andeat on the trail or snacks to
get you through.
And, and you know, waterpurification and all this stuff
(33:09):
that like, yeah, I'm knownabout, but I've never like dove
into, you know.
And uh, so I had this idea forthe trail connection and at the
time I did not have a name.
I just knew I wanted to do apodcast, a video podcast, to
kind of document my journey onsharing experiences with more
(33:35):
experienced people and learningand exploring and just capturing
this incredible journey that I'mon right now.
So that one day my kids canwatch it and see that dad was
going through a really hard timein life, but he turned it
(33:56):
around.
He found something to help withthat.
And it wasn't something that healready knew how to do.
This was something he had tolearn and he threw himself into
it.
And this is how he taughthimself, you know, are taught,
learned from others to get toaccomplish a goal that he set.
(34:22):
And so what does the trailconnection?
The trail connection is myjourney to someplace beautiful.
And like I mentioned, I don't, Idon't want to just get there and
show you what I found.
(34:42):
I want to show you how I builtit brick by brick and how I got
there step-by-step.
So that if you're at the samepoint in your journey on
[inaudible] and you are tryingto learn and it's intimidating
and it's uh, it's difficult tofind information that doesn't
(35:06):
intimidate you or anything likethat, then come along with me
and let's learn together andlet's share from the experiences
of those that have been thatbeen through the trails before,
been down this path before andhelp use them as a guide to, to
(35:27):
answer those questions that wehave and, and show what really
awesome things are out there.
And I want to use the trailconnection as a way to connect
with God, connect with nature,connect with my family, connect
with friends, old and new andall through a common interest in
(35:52):
the love for the outdoors andbeing outside and experiencing
the beauty that we live near andeven places far away and
document that journey.
And so I am super excited to bebringing you along with me
(36:15):
tonight.
I am filming from my backyardand the intent was to have my
kids camping in a tent rightbehind me while I shot this.
But because we live in Floridaand it's mid September and the
weather's not cooperating, I gotthem posted up inside.
But otherwise they would be outhere with me.
(36:36):
I'm soaking it up and listeningto the bats and the owls and the
crickets and everything else,all the other ambience that's in
my neighborhood that youprobably picking up on this
recording.
But I'm excited for what, whatthis project is all about and
(36:57):
I'm excited about the journeythat I'm beginning tonight and
I'm excited to bring you alongwith me.
And I hope that you share thatsame excitement and you're
intrigued by this concept, uh,that it makes you want to follow
along and join in.
So if you haven't already, I'mgoing to give my shameful pitch
(37:19):
here.
Now.
I, I've got just about everysocial media account you could
have.
I've got Instagram, Facebook,Twitter, uh, we're on YouTube
and if you haven't yet, go checkout our pages.
Give us a, like, give us afollow, um, you know, subscribe
to the YouTube channel so youcan see these video episodes.
(37:40):
As soon as they come out, we'regoing to be putting out some
other content as well.
And also, um, there's somethingelse that, uh, I think is really
cool that we're gonna be doing.
Um, and we've got a, a Patrionaccount set up.
So if you don't know what thatis, I'm not going to take the
time right this minute toexplain it, but you should go
(38:02):
check it out.
Um, it's a patrion.com/trailconnection and you can find us
and there's some really coolpackages there that you can
subscribe to that will give yousome exclusive content and some
insight information.
And it'll also help carry thisthing along a little bit.
(38:22):
So, um, I appreciate everysingle one of you that have
taken the time to tune in andlisten or watch or follow.
And everyone who's alreadysupported me that haven't,
hasn't heard anything yet,they've only seen some pictures
that I've put up with some, youknow, thoughtful remarks in the
caption.
(38:43):
Um, but I do really appreciateevery single one of you who's
taken the time to listen to thisbecause it's something that I'm
very passionate about andsomething that I will be pushing
so hard to make successfulbecause I believe in it.
So thank you so much for tuningin.
I want to give a special shoutout to chase Hayley for letting
(39:07):
me borrow his GoPro and also fora to Seth Ryan for letting me
borrow his VI, his audiorecorder to get these first
couple of episodes recordeduntil I can kind of get some
things going.
So big thanks to those guys.
I really appreciate it.
And again, thanks to everybodywho is supporting me, uh, my
(39:27):
wife and my children, you'd kindof understand what's going on.
Um, and both sides of my family,um, both my, my parents and, and
, and my wife's parents.
So thank you so much and um,check back in a couple of weeks
for episode two.
And, uh, thanks again for tuningin.
(39:49):
This is the trail connection.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
Okay.
So after reviewing the tape alittle bit, there were a couple
things that didn't really comeout as clear as I wanted them to
in this first take, um, for ouror original podcast.
And, um, I just want to makesure that that information is,
is, uh, distributed.
Cause I know this is my firstopportunity to introduce myself
(40:13):
to everyone and I don't want themessage to get lost.
So just to clear up a little bit, uh, what the trail connection
is.
So I found that through campingand hiking and getting outdoors
was a way of me finding myselfagain, reconnecting to like my
(40:33):
core and my passion.
Um, but that not, that might notbe necessarily what you find,
um, as an activity to, toreconnect.
And so I don't want to alienatethose folks that, that may
relate to the message, but theydon't find that same passion
through, um, being outdoors.
(40:55):
Um, I would encourage it becauseI think that being outdoors is
really healthy and, and uh, foryour mind and your body.
Um, but again, that was justsomething that I found to be
very helpful for me to, um, kindof pull myself out of the rat
race and really reprioritizewhat was most important in my
(41:16):
life, which is my family and,you know, my, uh, my spiritual
walk and all of that stuff that,that needs to be at the core.
Um, what I'm focused on.
And you know, I've, I believe inhard work, I believe in
dedicating yourself to your job,but there has to be a balance.
How much you throw at that andhow much you are able to, uh,
(41:38):
walk away sometimes and justrecharge and get rejuvenated.
And so again, for me it's, it'sbeing outdoors and, and
connecting with nature and, andall of that.
So the trail connection is justthis passion that I have to
balance my life.
(41:58):
And, um, I think that others canrelate to that message.
I think that, um, you know,whether it be through just
taking a short hike or a walksomewhere outside or, um, you
know, whatever, whatever it maybe, you, you might have
something that they are verypassionate about.
I just, I want you to beencouraged to get connected with
(42:21):
that.
And so, um, for those of you whoare interested in the outdoors
and find the same passion andthe same, um, revitalization, I
guess you want to call it, um,by being outdoors and doing
things like this and beingadventurous and exploring and,
and, um, just connecting withnature, then I would absolutely
(42:43):
encourage you to continuefollowing along with me and
follow me on my journey nomatter what stage you're at.
Um, whether you've been hikingfor six months or 60 years, um,
you know, I would encourage youto follow along and, and join me
within, in this, in this journeythat I'm on.
Uh, so in future episodes, whatcan you expect?
(43:05):
Um, we're going to besystematically, including more
and more, uh, influences intothis show as we progressed.
So this next episode thatthat'll be coming out in a
couple of weeks, it will be meby myself again, but it'll show
kind of, um, the area that I, Ifound of my escape to.
Um, I'm gonna take you guys tomy secret spot and, uh, kinda
(43:29):
show you my site set up, showyou how I, how I, um, talk about
this type of meal that I willprepare when I'm out there by
myself.
And then, um, just kind of touchon again, the importance of
being out there and sometimes insolitude to, uh, to really, uh,
rejuvenate and reconnect.
(43:49):
So that's going to be the nextepisode and then it'll continue
to build.
So third, a third and fourth andfifth we'll be starting to add
in additional parties, peoplebringing in other people to
contribute and that these typesof episodes are going to be a
lot more conversational based.
Um, and really what I'm lookingfor is just a campfire
discussion, just talking andhanging out and connecting with
(44:13):
one another and uh, and justexplaining experiences and
preferences and all differentkinds of stuff like that.
It's not going to be really mytake as an authority on any of
stuff because it's still prettynew to me.
Um, but I'm also going to bedrawing a lot of feedback and
information from, from folks whohave been doing it for a long
time or who have maybe had somereally cool experiences that we
(44:36):
want to share.
And so that's the plan.
Um, so if that type of stuffinterests you, then absolutely
hit the subscribe button, hitthe follow button and every
single time we post outsomething, you guys will be the
first to know it.
Um, plan on releasing an episodeevery two weeks, um, for the
first season.
(44:57):
And, uh, we're going to be doinga lot of cool stuff.
We're gonna be doing some rivercamping trips.
We're going to be doing somebeach camping trips.
We're going to be doing, uh,sections of the Appalachian
trail and, uh, really lookingforward towards the end of the
season.
Um, we're going to be trying togo out West for the first time
for me and I'll be teaming upwith some folks who had been out
there several times before, uh,to bring you guys some really
(45:20):
incredible content.
So I'm looking forward to it andI hope that you guys are
interested in following along.
And, um, thank you so much againfor tuning in for this first
podcast ever of the trailconnection.
And I am so pumped to beconnected to you guys and to
push through on this journey.
(45:44):
[inaudible].
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