I Am Unapologetically #Awesome: @Zrdavis says "goodbye to me"

SOOO!! TNTML friend Zach was inspired by the celebration of unapologetic awesomeness, and just sort of how we all came about, and decided that he wanted to go on his own journey, and document it for all to see on his site as well. Dude, you guys are so effin awesome we were also able to hook him up with some SERIOUS gear!!!! Amazing, and it happened within about 60 seconds of posting on it initially. You guys work so faasssstttttttttttt!!! Thank you so, so, so, so much!

I met Zach for the first time IRL last weekend when I happened to be staying in San Diego in OH YEAH, the same damn house he used to live in. WEEEIIIRRRDDDD!!!! I told him it was great to meet him and all, but I couldn't WAIT to meet the Zach 6 months from now, after his trip! I said there's ABSOLUTTELLLYYY no way you can have an epic adventure like this and not come back a new person; it's absolutely and utterly impossible. I asked Zach to send me a post saying either hello to his new self, or good-bye to his former self. Here's what he sent ...

Zach Davis (AKA The Good Badger) is a nerd.  Inspired by fellow nerd- Jen Friel- and her spirit as a life-caster and true adventurer, Zach has decided to trade in his lifestyle as a servant to his laptop and instead embark on the journey of a lifetime...

Goodbye me.

You are on the verge of transformation.  You are on the verge of rebirth.

The person you've come to know over the years- yeah, he's about to go.

Go where exactly?

1)  Geographically: Georgia...then to Maine...by foot.  Six months of belongings on my back.  Just me and mother nature (and the 2,000 other people that attempt to thru-hike all 2,179 miles of the Appalachian Trail).

2)  Metaphorically:  Away. If not for good, then at least for the foreseeable future.

If growth is a byproduct of changing the patterns, stimuli, or environment in one's life- I'm rapidly approaching a spiritual puberty.

As of March 21st (Monday morning)- I will be embarking on a trek into the woods, through the mountains, in a state of near-isolation accompanied only by a friend and the few other backpackers crazy enough to walk the length of the United States' oldest mountain range.

This is as big a personal departure from my former life as humanly possible.

I grew up behind screens. As a kid, it was video games, chat rooms, and tv.  In my professional life, it's 70 hours a week behind the screen of my laptop as an Internet marketer and writer.

To classify my camping experience level as "beginner" is giving me the benefit of the doubt. I've slept in a tent three times in my life. The first time I've set up one up for myself, was two nights ago, on a slab of AstroTurf on a friends' patio.

It's time for that person to go.

The first 25 years of life have served the former Zach well.  But in 24 hours, I will say goodbye to him. Six months of new experiences, new challenges, new highs, new lows, will undoubtedly create a new individual that no one will recognize- myself included.

Goodbye me.  The new you waiting in Northern Maine is proud.

I was just saying this to this dude Jacob last night, kinda funny how full circle life seems to be - ALWAYS ... epic adventures just happen. Zach's case is extreme - he's going balls deep ... ahmazing. But I had no fucking clue what I was doing initially. Like at all ... and or what so ever. Remember, we can never see what we're doing when it's still "happening." Whatever that means to be honest with you, when is life ever not happening ... it's all always one epic journey anyway. I just had one guide in life "feels good/ doesn't feel good." If it felt good, keep going ... if it stopped feeling good, stop it. I just very genuinely wanted to keep having adventures and posting about 'em. That's it!!! If I sat there with this grand plan and said on November 3, 2009 this is what I wanted to do and these are my steps of next doable actions to execute. HAHAHAHAHAH!! Dude, I had NO idea what I was doing.

Seriously Zach - I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!! So. So. So. Excited for you man! And please, I'm not even kidding that if you get stuck somewhere, please tweet me, and we'll send in the troops! HIZZAH!!

Click here to read up more on Zach and his adventures!!

Stay tuned, holy crappidy crap crap this one's gonna be good!!!

#NERDSUNITE INDEED!!!