How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Then there were all the problems and particular dangers of solitude. I still have [...] organs that might burst or sputter in the empty wilds. (1.2.18)
Solitude can be nice and all, but there are a lot of advantages to being around other human beings. And we're not even just talking about companionship and quality conversation—we're talking about having someone there to save you when you're knock-knock-knockingon heaven's door.
Quote #2
The whole would be, as MacKaye ecstatically described it, "a retreat from profit." (1.3.2)
In a way, the Appalachian Trail was always meant to be isolated from the rest of the world. While the rest of the country is stuck in the rat race, the AT takes things at a slower pace.
Quote #3
Even at busy times, however, [...] I encountered long periods of perfect aloneness, when I didn't see another soul for hours. (1.4.20)
At first, Bryson loves the feeling of being alone on the Appalachian Trail. It provides him time to think, to focus on the important things in life. This relationship might change over time, but there's no denying Bryson's initial enjoyment of the AT's solitude.