I Agree with Will and Janine, because i think there points go hand in hand. Companionship was definantly a driving factor in Bryson's walk on the Appalachian Trail. Katz often kept him motivated, as well as Bryson kepping Katz motivated as well.

I also liked Matt's point about the difference between American and European views. In the story Bryson realizes how reliant he is on technological commodities, and by walking the trail he comes to understand that that the European view of nature, and how much we can actually acomplish by just setting goals and trying to obtain them.