Who I Am, What I'm Doing, and Why You're Here
On March 22, 2021, I set out on a life-changing adventure. I left Springer Mountain in Georgia with hopes of hiking 2193.1 miles to Mount Katahdin in Maine on America's most famous footpath, the Appalachian Trail. 169 days later on September 7, 2021, I reached the end of my journey.
For years I had dreamed of thru hiking the AT, but it always seemed like one of those far-fetched goals I would contemplate during my brief day hikes on the AT around my home of Western North Carolina. In October 2020 I was laid off from my dream job. I worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist on the pediatric unit of a hospital in my hometown, and I absolutely loved it. Up until that point in my life, getting laid off was the hardest thing I'd had to endure. It left me questioning my purpose and reevaluating what was important to me.
I needed to make a change, and in December of 2020, I committed to attempting to thru hike the entire AT in 2021. Thankfully two other women from my part-time job were also planning to thru hike the following spring, so we all decided to start together. With only three months to buy gear, I feverishly went to planning and testing gear. I had only been on a handful of backpacking trips, and I felt like I was in over my head. Despite constantly battling self-doubt and imposter syndrome, I proved myself wrong and walked from Georgia to Maine.
It has been hard to put into words how incredibly life-altering my thru hike was. Down to my very core of being, my perspective shifted. The lessons the trail taught me ranged from how to better connect with others, what it means to be human, acceptance, and how to endure suffering- just to name a few. My viewpoint on life was changed, something that I didn't realize needed desperately to happen. Embarking on my thru hike was a leap of faith like nothing else I had experienced, and standing on the other side I am able to acknowledge that I descended Katahin a different person altogether.
Since returning from trail my life has taken shape much like my life prior to thru hiking. I have a "traditional" 9-5 job, I drive a car, I walk my dog, I reheat leftovers in the microwave. It has amazed me how easy it has been settling back into the mundane nature of life. It feels a bit like pulling on a comfortable pair of sweatpants after wearing jeans all day.
I have come to realize, though, that for the five and a half months I was on trail, I was truly alive. I was able to live my life in a way that centered around survival. I woke up each morning with a single task at hand: walk. I ate when I was hungry, took breaks when I wanted, and rose with the sun. Every day my goal was to make forward progress, it was as simple and difficult as that. Sometimes the miles came easy and flew by, other times they were agonizing and painstaking.
I met so many amazing people on trail. Kids who just graduated high school, folks who finally retired, people who quit their job, couples on their honeymoon, and individuals just looking to find themselves. My favorite part of my journey was interacting with people in such an authentic way. No matter their background, beliefs, or gear, we all had a common goal. People were so much more open to being themselves and the connection you built with someone while walking felt wholesome. I felt that I got to know someone on a deep and meaningful level just by hiking with them for a couple of hours. Some of those folks I only saw for a day or two, others have become embedded in my life post trail.
Every night in my tent I journaled. I challenged myself to prolong sleep five extra minutes in order to write a page worth of memories for the day. My hope before starting the trail was that I would be able to justify carrying the extra weight of a journal by committing to writing every night. I stuck to this routine and ended up with over 160 journal entries. I wrote everything about what I was feeling, who I was with, where I ate lunch, pretty views for the day, where I dug cat holes, who I had trail crushes on, how excited I was for town days, which toes had blisters- EVERYTHING.
In the weeks the followed my summit, I hungrily reread my journal entries. I longed to be back on trail despite all the pain and frustration that my hike put on my mind and body. I craved the simplicity of each day and to be surrounded by the people who stole my heart in the midst of the most stunning scenery. My journal entries became a way for me to relive my adventures. They brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
I gained so much joy reading about other people's experiences on trail. Prior to thru hiking, I read all the "classic" AT books: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis. I loved watching the Youtube videos made by Dixie, Darwin, and Rocket. These people inspired me and helped me to realize that if they can walk from Georgia to Maine, maybe I can too.
It is because of the inspiration and insight I gained from those who went before me that I decided to create this blog. Retelling my trail story by sharing my journal entries for the world to see, I hope to take readers along my journey of self-discovery. I climbed mountains, swam in lakes, danced with lightning bugs, forded rivers, and wished on shooting stars during my months on trail.
My trail name is Magic, join me as I retell my AT journey and find Magic in the Mountains.