JDAroadwarrior

I was passing through eastern Texas one winter when an older man pulled over behind me. I turned to see he was struggling to walk in my direction, so I began walking towards him so he wouldn't have to. He noticed me making my way over, so he stopped at the trunk of his car and waited for me. When I reached the man, he placed his hand on my shoulder and asked, "What's your favorite pie?" I gave him a confused look and laughed, "Umm.. Pecan, I guess. Why?" The old man smiled and popped open the trunk. As he pointed inside, I leaned over to see a pecan pie sitting there. I was a bit shocked, so I backed away, laughing. He then reached in to grab the pie and handed it to me. After I took it from him, he put his hand on my shoulder again and said, "God told me you were going to say that. Enjoy this pie, young man. And enjoy the rest of your trip."

For the record, I ate the pie and it was delicious lol

I ran into a few dangerous animals, such as bears, mountain lions, wild boars, and coyotes. I never felt too threatened except for the grizzly bear encounter I had in Alaska. I was about a three-day hike into Denali National Park and had been staying in higher elevations to avoid the densely forested areas below. On the third day, I hiked down the mountain and made my way for a river to collect some water. Once I made it to the river, I slid down the muddy bank and reached for my canteen. When I pulled the canteen out, the elastic strap that had been holding it in place slapped loudly against my pack. I then heard the sound of water thrashing just around the bend, so I began to hurry out of there. About halfway up the bank, I turned around and saw a grizzly running in my direction. I scrambled faster to the top and immediately pulled out my bear spray. By then, the bear was only a few feet away and coming up the bank. I took the opportunity and sprayed it directly in the face, which made it back off a bit. After shaking its head and rubbing its face on the ground for a few seconds, it turned to come at me again. This happened about seven times or so. Thankfully, just after the last bit fizzled from the can, the bear finally decided it'd had enough and left. Although it was over, I still had a three-day hike back to the nearest road without any self-defense other than a knife, which was not an easy feeling. I was on edge for quite a while after that.

It was a terrible experience, but I am currently still in remission as far as I know. Writing my book helped me to escape the reality of my situation. By the time I was done writing it, my treatment was over with and it was like I was set free. At least I have been able to get my story out there. I'm fine with whatever happens now. I just didn't want all of that to go to waste. While helping with charities was nice, I wanted my journey to inspire others even long after I'm gone. Publishing my book was assurance that my story could potentially go on forever. It is currently number 100 in PTSD on Amazon. That's pretty amazing.

Liver cancer

That's awesome! I kind of wonder if that doctor has read my book!

I think what helped me the most, besides getting exercise and being outdoors, was probably all of the kind strangers that I met. I was a nervous wreck about meeting people in the beginning but it became something I hoped for as the days went on. It seemed like every day someone would stop to ask if I needed anything or would even invite me into their home so I could eat dinner with them, shower, and get some laundry done.

Knowing what I know now, I would probably try to slow down. It wasn't uncommon for me to walk for two or three days without stopping. Maybe I had more energy then, but I wouldn't do it like that these days. I kind of feel like I needed to be worn out at the time, but I also feel like that's why my knees are so bad now. I always encourage new hikers to walk at a pace they're comfortable with. Slow down to smell the roses. You'll get there when you get there.