Can I really walk again?

During the worst of the pandemic, I hatched my plan.

Since I was little I dreamed of traveling. I dreamed of the cobblestones of European cities, the hot African sun, bustling cities and quiet villages. The goal was always to go abroad. But of course the pandemic got in the way.

I was planning to take a year off from work to travel the world. I planned to volunteer, sleep in shelters, meet people.

But there was also another dream.

Growing up, I spent summers in the dappled light of the trees, wandering winding paths, captivated by the forests and the trails that run through them.

Years ago, I stumbled upon the Appalachian Trail. Thinking it was a short hike, I delved into the world of hiking and its culture.

I had pretty big dreams… to be a Wisconsin school teacher.

I took on side jobs, saved like crazy, invested a little, and finally had enough to take the year off. The plan was to start on the northern Appalachian Trail in June 2024, summit Katahdin, travel the world, return to the AT in spring 2025, and finish at Harpers Ferry. I wanted to do the AT in the bubble and, since I was a school teacher, I couldn’t leave in March.

I had no idea how much hiking would change my life.

I had always thought it would be a year and then I would re-enter the real world. But in my first section, I met a group of people who really felt like family. In the second section, I met the love of my life, who was on his second hike. I absolutely fell in love with life on the trail, with the routines, with the people, with the freedom, with the strength. There was nothing compared to that, even to my surprise, seeing the pyramids and the Taj Mahal.

The plan was always one year. But then I asked the question: Can I live like this? Can this really be my life?

I knew there would be sacrifice. I gave up the car and opted for the bus and train living in Minneapolis. I started earning money again as a substitute teacher, so I could make my own schedule and work when I wasn’t on field trips.

So this year is my big experiment. I have set up my life and made decisions that will hopefully lead to a life down the road. The goal is to hike the Continental Divide Trail in 2026 and the Pacific Crest Trail in 2027 (God willing and money willing) and my partner and I have an endless list of trails we dream of exploring. So this year is a test. Can I live a functional life and still walk?

I guess we’ll find out.

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