All the questions, some of the answers

Like most hikers on The Trek, I start this blog trying to answer the question, «Why am I doing this?» Surprisingly, this is not the question I get asked the most when I tell people I plan to hike the Appalachian Trail. I think most people assume it’s something we want to do and leave it at that. It seems to be more of a personal question we have to ask ourselves because, as my 6 year old nephew pointed out, it’s crazy that we want to sleep outside for about 175 nights. Plus, as our intrepid Trek leader Zach Davis pointed out in his post-AT hike book “Appalachian Trials,” we NEED to have these reasons at the forefront of our minds whenever the idea of ​​quitting starts to take hold.

My answer to this poignant question is a little complicated, but basically I always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. I went to Hollins University in the beautiful Roanoke Valley and went on my first backpacking trip when I graduated in 2013. I spent a good chunk of my graduation money buying my backpack (the same one I’m using now), a sleeping pad, and a few other things to get started, and borrowed the rest. I loved being outdoors and hiking, backpacking, and trail running with my dog, Zander, and I wanted to walk the trail with him. Unfortunately, he was too old by the time I could afford to go and he passed away in May 2024. He was the best trail dog and I will carry some of his ashes with me on the AT.

The past few years have been a whirlwind when it comes to the professional, personal, and spiritual aspects of my life. I’ve learned and grown a lot as a person, but I’m still not sure what I want to do in my career. I studied sociology/social work/politics and worked in fundraising for nonprofits for years before I got tired and became a nanny and homeschooled for the last 3.5 years. The main family I worked with is Catholic and my own Catholic roots began to take hold again. I met a former fundraiser turned career coach at my local church, he saw my potential and accepted me as a client and friend. For one of our first meetings in June 2025, he told me to come prepared with 3 goals. One of them was hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Without my best hiking buddy and nothing to really tie me down, I took his advice and decided to give it a try. My lease in Baltimore ended in August 2025, I moved back to Roanoke to be closer to the mountains and a larger AT community, started working as a substitute teacher, and here I am!

There will be much more on all this later, but for now, let me go back to some of the questions I get most frequently (and one I definitely didn’t think I’d get):

1. Are you going with someone? No (gasps and surprised faces every time!)
2. Are you doing everything? Yes (more gasps and surprises because who can take 5-6 months off when they’re 30)?
3. What is the AT? Appalachian Trail (usually followed by «What is the Appalachian Trail?» from people who live in Maryland/Virginia)
4. How long will it take? 1 month? 2 months? Hoping to finish in 5.5 months (but most importantly I will listen to my body and if it takes longer, it will take longer)
5. Are you taking your phone? Yes (they actually asked me this and sarcastically said “no” at first and freaked out a little before I said I was joking)

As someone who has been hiking and backpacking for so long, I have to remind myself that this is not everyone’s cup of tea and to be patient. Plus, my friends and family really care, and it’s not that they don’t think I’m capable, but safety concerns are normal for anyone venturing out alone. These questions make me laugh though and I really appreciate everyone’s interest in this monumental journey.

That being said, let me finish this first post with one of my favorite questions:

How can I support you? Positive vibes, interest, donations (food, supplies and funds, but of course NOT asking, just a big thank you and THANK YOU to everyone in my life who has helped me get to this point), and following me along the way by subscribing to my blog.

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