Barb Abney

Hi - I'm Barb, older than I look :-), and have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 25. I have dealt with that primarily by running, swimming and hiking as often as possible in hot Orlando. As I recently celebrated 20 years of working in communications and marketing at a large research university I began to wonder what it would feel like to write less about science and more about day-to-day life. Kind of like what journalists used to do. So contingent on approval from various docs, I plan to begin a thru-hike of the AT at the end of March while my husband Dennis tends to our two greyhounds and keeps track of me via GPS. I hope to meet some if not all of you along with way and hear your stories as well.

Posts

Dealing with Diabetes and BS on the Trail

Dealing with Diabetes and BS on the Trail

Three months into the Appalachian Trail and it's time to talk about BS. For those of you who are fortunately not in the know BS stands for blood

Jul 1, 2018 : Barb Abney
Mental Gymnastics While Thru-Hiking the AT

Mental Gymnastics While Thru-Hiking the AT

The issue of mental fitness for a thru-hike has taken on a new perspective in the last week with the news of the suicides of both a fashion and an

Jun 10, 2018 : Barb Abney
Encountering Change:  Friend or Foe?

Encountering Change: Friend or Foe?

One thing the Appalachian Trail hasn't changed for me is my stubborn inability to grasp certain fundamental concepts. For instance-change management.

Apr 26, 2018 : Barb Abney
Rainy Days and Mondays

Rainy Days and Mondays

As I sit in the Wildwood Grill and Lounge waiting for my personal-size veggie pizza to come out so I can take it back to my room at the Fontana

Apr 23, 2018 : Barb Abney
Orlando Gets a Trail Name, and Gets Lost

Orlando Gets a Trail Name, and Gets Lost

Let's get this out of the way right up front. On my second day hiking the Appalachian Trail I got lost. That's right - even before arriving at

Apr 3, 2018 : Barb Abney
Hello Time, My Old Friend

Hello Time, My Old Friend

Two days PWL (post-work life) and the biggest difference I've noticed (besides the loss of the elephant on my back) is the presence of time.  It's

Mar 10, 2018 : Barb Abney
Defying Disabilities

Defying Disabilities

Will this generation of thru-hikers understand a “Cat’s in the Cradle” moment? Because I had one today and I suspect, if this pilgrimage goes as

Feb 28, 2018 : Barb Abney
Hiking, Dancing, And Sunglasses – A Memorial To Joe

Hiking, Dancing, And Sunglasses – A Memorial To Joe

Last weekend I went to the funeral service for my friend Joe. I met Joe and his greyhound, Flyer, at a local lake more than 15 years ago when I

Jan 21, 2018 : Barb Abney
An AT Pilgrimage – Not as Easy as it Used to Be, Or is it?

An AT Pilgrimage – Not as Easy as it Used to Be, Or is it?

“Pilgrimage.”  Imagine my surprise when I attended my first church service of 2018 and found that the theme of the year tracks precisely with the tug

Jan 8, 2018 : Barb Abney