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Sigh.

Posted 01-11-2008 at 03:27 AM by wildernesse

Many of you have probably heard of the murdered hiker in north Georgia--a young woman, hiking with her dog, attacked on a trail in a popular state park. It's a terrible story. A friend of mine mentioned it on my blog, and The Moms have also brought it up. Don't hike by yourself! It's dangerous out there!

It's so frustrating to me.

Yes, hiking alone is not as safe as hiking with someone. Yes, it can be dangerous for women to be alone out in the world (anywhere).

But.

I can't live my life afraid! If I waited on someone I know to go hiking with me, I might as well sew myself into the sofa cushions because absolutely zero of my friends has ever asked me to go hiking. When I ask/beg others, it is almost always no. Here in Raleigh, I know so very few people at all and none well enough to ask them to spend time with me regularly. I am desperately lonely and disappointed in not having a permanent job and one of the very few things that makes things ok is that there is a nearby park where I can walk in the woods and watch birds. To tell me I am worrying my friends and family by indulging in one of the very few highlights of our move is a nightmare.

(The move here has been harder than I thought it would be for me. RA is very work-oriented and his colleagues are the sort who make jokes involving Bayesian statistics. I've been to meetings of like-minded people and been actively ignored. (Yankees!) Job hunting has been pretty much like smacking into a brick wall. I've been reminding myself that it took me half a year to make friends and feel at home when I moved to Athens, and I was miserable then, too--and it turned out pretty well.)

Anyway, what bothers me the most is that it is probably ridiculously more dangerous for me to drive 10 miles down the interstate every day to my temporary job than it will ever be if I go hiking--even if I set out without food or water or a map or a jacket and just wander off into the woods! But I can't convey that without getting into an argument with people I don't want to argue with.

That's all. My pity party and rant. Today has just been a bad day, and it has been punctuated with random frustration like this. I can't put this on my regular site because then people would worry about me--not that you are a bunch of heartless meanies, but you're not my mother either.
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  1. Old Comment
    One for Sorrow's Avatar
    I hadn't heard about the woman who was murdered in Georgia. While it is terrible, I agree that people shouldn't be trying to scare you out of your favorite pastime with it. It's still unlikely to happen to you.

    With that said, let's go hiking! :D

    I am pretty much in the same boat as you, with not knowing anyone around here, but have been here over two years and it's past the point of loneliness and frustration and well into the realm of pathetic. Brian is perhaps even more of a recluse than I am.

    There are some gorgeous parks around. Let's go check some of them out together! You know I mean it.
    Posted 01-11-2008 at 02:58 PM by One for Sorrow One for Sorrow is offline
  2. Old Comment
    wildernesse's Avatar
    Aw, you are so fabulous! Let's make some plans!
    Posted 01-12-2008 at 02:30 AM by wildernesse wildernesse is offline
  3. Old Comment
    Dingfod's Avatar
    Get yourself a stun gun or pepper spray, and a loud whistle and you're ready, not only for some murderous creep, but for bears as well.

    Oh, and maybe a walking stick.
    Posted 01-17-2008 at 11:23 AM by Dingfod Dingfod is offline
  4. Old Comment
    wildernesse's Avatar
    Good ideas, dingfod. I'll have to figure out where I can buy pepper spray.

    Although the last time I saw bears on the trail, I hid behind a tree! I am so brave.
    Posted 01-18-2008 at 04:48 AM by wildernesse wildernesse is offline
 
 

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