It was 1994, on my 23^rd birthday my father gave me an envelope, which I figured would be a gift certificate for something outdoor or even a golf club coupon. But to my surprise, it was an airline ticket to Atlanta I was utterly confused, looking at my face he knew I was, but that confusion soon turned into a huge excitement when he said: "we are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in less than 50 days, get ready son."

I was...