Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/843585
LONG WALKER: TREK AN EPIC TRAIL Fastening your waist belt. Snapping your sternum strap. Canceling your Netfl ix. Taking a deep breath of real air and vanishing into the wild yonder for untold weeks or even months. Nothing hanging over you but sky, wild scenery and a 32-pound pack with all your vital belongings. For some, the voluntary act of hoofi ng across miles (and miles) of pristine backcountry is a no-go. For others, it's the long-awaited walk of a lifetime. If you're in the latter camp, the fi rst challenge is fi nding the perfect epic path from a world's supply of them. These two bucket listers should help whet the knee joints: California's John Muir Trail: Rambles across over 210 miles of prime Sierra Nevada mountain country from Yosemite National Park to the top of Sequoia National Park's Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48. Want more? The JMT is part of the 2,650-mile Pacifi c Crest Trail, covering three Western states. England's Coast-To-Coast ("C2C") Trail: Britain's most cherished nationwide hike traditionally begins with a toe-dip in the Irish Sea on the western edge of Cumbria before rambling 192 rugged, green miles — through England's famous Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors – with a celebratory toe-dip in the North Sea on the other side of the country. CHANGE THE WORLD-ER: VOLUNTEER ABROAD Signing on for a stretch of international volunteer work may require a broader defi nition of the term "extended vacation," but there's a special place in the world (actually several of them) for people who do. The list of charitable organizations catering to people of all ages and career backgrounds who can lend invaluable skills and expertise to a world's supply of worthy causes is long. And the geographic possibilities are just as wide. Options range from signing on with well-known orgs like Habitat for Humanity (operating in all 50 U.S. states and nearly 100 other countries) or the Peace Corps (open to all adults, with some shorter programs than the usual two-year stint) to Projects Abroad (designed specifi cally for retirees, grads and professionals on a career break) and Global Vision International (over 150 volunteer abroad projects up to six months long). Volunteering with a great program in just the right place won't just change your life but other lives, too. Best of all, wherever and whenever you go, there's never been a more perfect time. AACreditUnion.org | | 19