Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast.
Today we have the privilege of speaking with the one and only, Jenga!
We begin the show through power of technology being connected through many times zones and across the world.
Jenga is currently in New Zealand and takes the time to sit down and chat about the hike he is currently on, The Te Araroa, and more generally his incredible view on hiking and life.
We dive into his somewhat ok-ish definition of thru-hiking and his sewing pursuits. Then quickly we dive deep and stay deep within the waters of what makes him, well him. We chat about the trail being a framework to live life outside of the binds of a classically defined society, we talk not being able to resist the call of side adventures, and we briefly touch on the wonderful animal called a sheep.
We then go into the word adventure itself. The very reason Jenga lives this life and the word that fuels him. We chat failure and success and compare and contrast the word adventure and thru-hike. We hear stories of the CDT and talk about scars upon the body that are fond memories.
We then learn about a disease that will one day without choice stop Jenga's hikes, it is called Charcot-Marie Tooth disease. (Please correct us if we are wrong Jenga, while listening to the word, tried to Google it and this is what came up) A disease that eventually eats away at the muscle connections and creates muscular dystrophy. We chat difficulty lifting toes, selfies of things that are tripped on, and being intentional about time. Another massive kudos to Jenga, for the healthy and happy mindset around something that could be very hard to mentally deal with.
We chat about looking for ways to extend time in the outdoors, a scary future but the realization all futures are unknown, and having as he puts it, "the good fortune to know when my car crash is." We talk about the healing powers of hiking for mind and body, and the price of owning muscles.
We chat artistry and take a virtual look through his lens of photography. A little voice that tells him "pretty" and a voice that puts him fully in the moment. We chat water miraculously not flowing downhill in New Zealand, capturing the essence of a thru-hike, and moments of beauty within simply, life. We discuss light, the expensive organs called eyes, and then we all get drenched by rain.
A deep look into the year of 2022/2023 on the Te Araroa Trail and the constant never ending rain. We talk flooding, demoralizing wetness, and mold and mildew. We chat the scariest river ford he has ever experienced, and the realities of the looney tunes world called New Zealand.
We chat breaking trekking poles, being inside of never ending clouds, and something called Lemonade Pass. Not a pass on the trail, but a anecdote on how he handles uncomfortable situations. He makes lemonade.
We chat breaking a pure goal mentality and letting the journey take you where it will. We chat a month of time off trail and what could break some hikers, was just part of the experience for him. We chat naked bike rides, being a snow positive person, and not doing a trail because they are easy.
We wrap up the show with a word that can be felt in this entire conversation and the meaning of trails and life for Jenga, freedom.
Thank you for joining us and sharing your story!
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