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I thought this was going to be a "Where are they now?" on Gov Mark Sanford. How disappointing. :-)

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I loved both of these pieces. The AT was inspiring and the Maple Syrup one was pure Americana.

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I loved this! Please send more dispatches from the “wild”!

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Loved the AT piece. Well done Elias.

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Definitely more of this!

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Thanks for a lovely break from the (current) daily grind!

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Loved both of these articles! More please 😃. My daughter and I hiked a portion of the Camino de Santiago after she finished a semester abroad in Barcelona. We stayed in small hotels along the way so no camping but can relate to worrying about the next hill! And the book “A Walk in the Woods” is a favorite!

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Maybe it's the connection to the land. We need that more than we think. Even a car ride through the local mountains or South to the desert will renew my spirits and remind me of all there is to be thankful for.

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Love these Escapist Chronicles!! I could see, taste, smell and feel every bit of it. Thanks!

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"On the Appalachian Trail, I Fell In Love With America."

If it's there---it's there.... You just didn't know it. (Something like happiness, I guess.)

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It’s not just the wilderness now. It’s everywhere I used to love to go, from sailing annd scuba all over the world, to working in third world countries . The Caribbean and Tahiti used to be a little seen paradise of remote islands, beaches, and bars.

Mostly now a tourist trap full of cruise ship passengers and wanna be sailers on charter. I really miss it but feel lucky to have seen it as it was.

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founding

Thanks for reminding me of something I've wanted to do for decades. At 72 now, I know my time is passed, but reading Elias's well formed tale gave me great vicarious joy

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"Two of the most deranged weeks in American history."

Really?

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Comprof: Sure...! Gettysburg... Pearl Harbor... Ford's Theatre.... Just walks in the park.

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Yeah....nothing compares to what happened a few days ago.

I don't think I'll ever recover. :)

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I really enjoyed these articles. Thank you.

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Yes, please keep publishing stories likes these as well as the excerpt from “The Sugar Rush.” We need people to follow in the footsteps of John McPhee.

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I've listened to way too many real-life horror podcasts (or supposedly real-life lol) to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, so kudos to Elias! Definitely an inspiring read and one I'll probably turn to again for motivation when I'm facing some difficult endeavors.

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