The Best Mistake I Ever Made

By Tommy Baggins

In the Spring of 2001, I attempted to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in a single effort. In hindsight, the attempt was foolhardy. At the time, I had little experience with traveling on my own and no experience at all with backpacking.

I was born with Asperger's Syndrome as well as a bit of an anxiety disorder (neither of which had been diagnosed at the time). I was also taking medication for epilepsy. None of these things made me an obvious candidate for a long walk --alone-- in the wilderness.

In short, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what I was doing. I was guaranteed to make a mess of it and, of course, I did. It was wonderful. I regret nothing. Hiking the Appalachian Trail was the best mistake that I ever made.

I kept a journal before and during that hike. That journal had been sitting at the bottom of a box --unread and unloved-- for too many years. The time had come to type it and share it with the world. Here it is. Enjoy.

P.S. This is the first of eight journals in the "Asperger's on the Appalachian Trail" series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tommy Baggins
• Release date: Dec 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311598813

Tommy Baggins

Who am I? I'm a lover of sci-fi and fantasy fiction as well as a fan of classic movies. I'm a self-proclaimed royal historian of Oz as well as the self-proclaimed emperor of Canada and, yes, I'm completely full of it. I like to think that I'm a sterling example of person with Asperger's syndrome. It may be more trouble than it's worth but it lends me and my writing a distinctive perspective. I live in the real-life fairy country along the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania. Although, during the summers, I like to throw on a backpack and go walking among the mountains.

Book preview

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Reviews for The Best Mistake I Ever Made

[wesdianejones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Straight from the trail. The journal entries are real time thoughts and reflections. A quick, fun and entertaining read.