I’m on the slide – The Trek

No, but I really am now.

“Get on the slide” is a phrase my mentor’s father coined (I think). I find it pretty clear, but just in case: you’re basically forcing yourself to commit to things that you risk backing out of by «going down the slide.» Getting on the slide could mean buying a non-refundable plane ticket or making a big announcement. Whatever works best for you. I guess it’s really just the sunk cost fallacy with a nicer name and not so much a fallacy. Rather, it is a way of tricking yourself into doing something you DO want to do even though it scares you. Like a fucking waterslide, bro. You have to get in there before you can think!!!

Making the announcement out loud is how I get on this slide. (it doesn’t always work that well, I’m not afraid to change my mind or make noise about it) but anyway, I made it for the hike and now I make it for blogging too.

Here I am, blogging my hike. Well, the walk hasn’t started yet but here I am blogging.

Why blog?

My main reason for blogging is to update friends who aren’t on social media (hello everyone) and to stay OFF social media.

I’m a very verbal processor, so I thought having this platform to express my thoughts and experiences would help facilitate that. I’ll probably share more about what’s going on inside my head rather than what’s happening on the road. You can only describe plants, birds, rocks and things for a certain amount of time.

Why WALK? (most important)

I have said it many times and I will say it again: because I have two legs and one life to live. At one point I told an acquaintance I was planning to hike the AT, and he said, «All at once? That’s fucked up.» Honestly yes, and that’s why I want to do it. It’s something that’s been on my mind for years. Before I learned to backpack, when I found out the trail existed I thought, «Yeah, I’ll do it someday.» After that, I made a lot of excuses not to start because doing so would make the possibility of failure that much more real. I went years without starting. I didn’t even have a backpack. I didn’t even know if I liked backpacking. What even is a backpack?

Then one day in 2023, I felt unappreciated at work, so I started saving money and told myself that when I had enough I would quit and hike the Appalachian Trail. Things got better at work and I surpassed my goal and continued saving, but I hit a breaking point and quit quite unexpectedly in October 2025. Finally, we made it to April 2026.

People always talk about how the “why” is extremely important. For me it comes down to «because I said I would.» This may not seem like a strong enough reason, but it’s not just that. I said I would do it because I want to push myself physically and mentally, I want to see what happens when I’m wet, miserable, hungry and sore for days on end. I want to see if it’s true that the worst day on the road is better than the best day at a shitty job. I want to see what happens if I find out it’s not. I’m pretty tough, I think I’ll last.

Also, I love the forest, what are you talking about?

That’s it, I’m walking 2000 miles straight because I’m crazy and I want to do it.

Thank you to all the family and friends who have supported me and will continue to do so. I hope you enjoy following me, even if my posts are mostly just the guts of my brain.

I don’t have the name of the trail yet, but I picked one up from a friend who said it was like a clown car, pulling gear out of my little pockets left and right. So for now, log out.

clown car

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