Naomi Robert - Post 3

By the end of Chapter 18, Bill Bryson has been through quite a bit while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The trail hike changed dramatically since Katz’ departure for a summer job in Des Moines. Bill Bryson now seems less driven in his hiking endeavor. He has given up the goal of hiking the entire trail and now his trail hikes seem random and aimless. Through this solitude, Bryson does, however, learn a great deal. He especially learns to appreciate the little things in his life often taken for granted.

For example, in Chapter 16, Bill Bryson continues on his pleasant Vermont stretch. He enjoys the simple pleasures of the lunch his wife packed and the peaceful view. Bryson begins to think about how much Katz would enjoy these moments – making it clear that he misses Katz’ company. Bryson even talks to himself about his lunch contents, probably because he does not have his usual food-lover partner to discuss such things with. Although Bryson takes up another hiking partner, Bill Abdu, for a while, the close-knit bond simply is not the same. Whereas with Katz, Bryson would probably feel comfortable telling him about his bad state, when hiking with Dr. Bill, he feels too embarrassed to be honest about his hypothermia. Basically, Bryson learns how valuable Katz really is as a hiking partner. While hiking alone offers great serenity, the company of others is very important, especially on the rough AT.