What an absolutely gorgeous day it is today. It’s warm, sunny, and it is the perfect day for both hiking and leisurely enjoying the company of hikers, and a holiday too! People are celebrating the holiday in all sorts of ways out here.

However, what I am struck by most on this day is the simple joy of being where I am and doing what I am doing. A year ago, most hikers never would have anticipated their lying on the grass in the sun in a small town in Tennessee. They probably did not expect that they would have fewer deadlines and fewer bills and less stress, nor that they would have perfect views of mountains every day.

Alright, so I’m bragging a bit, but I am the happiest I have ever been. Whenever a local asks me about hiking, I feel a rush of excitement, reminding me of my awesome adventure. Standing on a mountaintop, I realize the magnitude of my journey.

While in town this weekend, I watched a movie called “In Time.” Yes, it was the cheesy action movie with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. It was based in a futuristic world where the currency is time. JT had to spend his time to buy coffee and bus rides, but his poverty made decisions difficult. If you ran out of time, you died. Amanda was rich with time but envied JT, who always lived for the moment and spent his time assertively. It inevitably turned into a love story with a lot of action, but the message was clear: do not take time for granted.

Even though it was a fictional world, the premise is true. When you run out of time, you die. Being on the trail is where I want to be above all other places, and it made me realize that is how I should always live my life. If I am not living with a specific purpose – currently self-fulfillment and happiness – then I am wasting the sacred time that I have left. People keep telling me that I will always remember this trip. While I very much agree, I don’t plan to go back to a boring life after. I plan to begin my next adventure, to spend my time in a new, exciting way.

I am literally living my dream right now. There is nowhere I would rather be, and I cannot recommend this way of living enough. I don’t just mean just hiking the trail. I mean spending time in the best way possible, experiencing freedom and true joy. If you want to do something with your life, do it. Before you run out of time.