That's all I ever wanted. To be in the woods, and dig in the dirt. To have intercourse with the land. To be deeply, playfully enmeshed in my environment, and have it infused into me. To care for the environment, and enjoy its many gifts. To play and work in the forest, and harvest its water, wood, and clean air. To enrich the soil and be nourished by its gifts of food and drink. And to put my back into my living, giving my labor, and receiving muscles, health, and food.

I did not want to enrich the bankers and tie myself to a 30 year mortgage that would severely limit what I could build. The fossil fuel, power and water companies would not see any of my scarce money. And the grocery store would have a hard time making much money off of me.

I would be living in a log cabin on a hill, built of trees from the forest, with a large vegetable garden growing nearby. The house would honestly show what it is made of, never hiding anything behind a fake veneer. It would be oriented south, to be partially heated by the sun, and large windows on that side would provide stunning views. The electricity and hot water would come from the sun. A woodstove would provide heat while it cooked my dinner.

And I would build it myself, with my own strong hands and willing back. And live a life of pleasure, health, and meaning. This is the story of the two years I spent living in a converted school bus while building my dream, and changing my life.

Bliss. That's what we feel. Bliss. Why? Where does it come from? That is what this book is about.

In 2012, I spent 4 1/2 months hiking almost 1000 miles of the A.T. (Appalachian Trail). The intensity blew me away. The trail infected me. I feel it almost every day. It changed me.

The book is organized in sections that reflect the geography of the trail, starting at Springer Mountain, GA, in the south, and ending in Maryland in the north. So it is helpful to read them in order, since that is the way the trail revealed itself to me. The connectivity and flow are important.

After the journal entries, there usually is a section that looks like this. It contains my thoughts and memories of that particular time on the trial.

To those who have never experienced a significant amount of time on a long distance hike, come walk with me and laugh, cry, hurt, and rejoice.