He started taking steps to make it happen. To cut down living costs and save more, he moved in with friends.

He was so serious about hiking the Appalachian Trail, he went in to work one day to quit his job. When he sat down with his boss to give the news, his boss said, “No.”

"What? Wait. Huh?" I was confused. Marty was the one telling them he was quitting. How could they say no?

Turns out, they saw another option. His boss said they’d give him a leave of absence to hike, but they wanted him back when he was done.

What an awesome surprise!

I was amazed by this piece of his story. Quitting your job to go out and have a big experience isn’t the only option. Marty’s company proved that when we work hard and our work is valued, companies are willing to value our personal goals. Well, the ones who care about their people will do this.

You know it’s crazy, because some folks take six months to complete the AT. That doesn’t matter. His company supports his 2,190 mile quest from Georgia to Maine. They just wanted to make sure they got him back whenever he was done. Pretty awesome, eh?

His company’s response shocked me and I forgot all about the farting ponies. He continued to share how amazed he’s been of everyone’s encouragement for him to pursue this big adventure. Great friends are even watching his dog while he hikes.

We are inspired by Marty’s guts to drop everything for his big dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Sometimes we don’t pursue big dreams because we’re afraid of what people will think. He had a big dream and went for it, and everyone’s encouraging response surprised all of us.

A storm was a-brewin’. We were all reluctant to split from the ponies' free entertainment.