I’ve not been chatting here much lately, and that’s ok. I mean, it doesn’t build followers – Except those who want to talk to me about bitcoin or how to manage my non-existent retirement portfolio. But it’s ok in that I have been doing things – Just not things that are very exciting to other people.
I passed a milestone, to which the title of this post alludes. I am now slightly less that 4.5 years away from being able to start my pension. But, as I’ve said before, it will most likely be two years beyond that. But knowing that I can exercise that option in 4.5 years feels pretty darn good.
I did make an attempt at a section hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in mid-March. I was going to do a SOBO section from Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam. My plan was to car camp at Fontana then shuttle up to Newfound Gap and spend three nights on the trail hiking back to my car. First off, I learned that car camping is not a thing I’m going to do much of. It was one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life – Good to cross that idea off my list. But the main issue with the hike was that North Carolina closed the highway I needed to use for my shuttle due to high winds. I could have gone NOBO instead and then shuttled back to my car, but I just was not into it. So I came home after one night of car camping.
That said, I am still moving forward with my plan to hike one of the long trails right after I retire. It looks like I am going to start with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), probably in March of 2027. It’s really easy to get discouraged making plans so far out, especially when you’re the only one in your friend group even remotely interested in these sorts of plans. So I have to find ways, sometimes little sometimes not so little, to keep myself motivated.
One of the larger ways to keep myself motivated was to buy a new camera. I personally have great appreciation for iPhones and the images they produce. But there will always be limitations – Landscape photos, high detail zoom, and pics of the night sky to name a few. Plus, iPhone technology is outdated rather soon with the current iPhone running at $1300 – Whereas the body of a traditional camera can be replaced for around $600+, and you can still use the lenses. That said, I plan on carrying both types of camera. But I need some time to explore all the benefits and limitations of a traditional camera.
I took it out of the box and went for a walk using the zoom lens and auto setting. The three pics below are the result.
So yeah, it takes great pics in auto setting. But that is not really why I bought this camera. So my next step, and this will take weeks, is to explore all the manual settings. I’m not sure the most logical way to approach this, so I picked up a couple books from the library. I’m exploring using the different settings, and I will post some of the shots on here from time to time. I apologize in advance. Speaking of, this is me using “dramatic lighting” on a profile pic. How fun!
So that is what I’ve been up to. As I said, nothing too exciting. But moving into summer I will have a little more freedom so hopefully I’ll have some adventures and excursions to share with you.
Thanks for reading. And as always, reach out if you have questions.
#GenX #Retirement #Adventure #GenerationX #SonyA6100 #Photography #StirCrazy
Will's GenX Adventure 