I’m just a child
My name is Ian…for now. I’ve gone by Rosey in the past, but it’s time to add a new nickname to the arsenal: a route name. And that’s why I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail: to get a new nickname.
Kidding. Alright, now it’s time to talk about me. It’s my blog, so I can do it. If you noticed my Eminem reference in the title, you might have guessed that I’m from Michigan. That’s right! I grew up in Metro Detroit, in a landscape more dominated by lakes and farms than mountains. Although there are no epic mountain views, Michigan has its natural charm. I’ve backpacked all over the state: in Pictured Rocks, the Porcupine Mountains (the mountains are kind of an extension), and along the Manistee River. Backpacking during the Michigan summers increased my love for the activity and exposed me to a new world.
brutal haircut
Teenage garbage bag
As I got older, I started backpacking around the country. I went to Colorado, Utah, and Alaska during high school and saw how epic a backpacking trip can be. I learned about the Appalachian Trail and decided that one day I would hike it. I soon went to the University of Michigan. I still spend time backpacking between failing my computer science exams and going to all the Michigan football games. My friends and I traveled to the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico and Shenandoah National Park. I was introduced to hiking while taking half a semester off to complete the Camino De Santiago. Summers were spent working at a summer camp in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and guiding high school students on backpacking and canoeing trips. I was sure I would hike the Appalachian Trail when I graduated.
First time on the Appalachian Trail! with dad
Nobody likes you when you’re 23
Life doesn’t always go as planned and when I graduated I was moving to Nashville, Tennessee instead of hiking. I spent three wonderful years learning how to be an adult in the city of music. My jobs range from working in a running store to now working in IT for a bank. Since my life revolves around staring at a computer screen, backpacking has become a necessary escape to clear my mind and breathe fresh air. In recent years, I have hiked the lush green forests of Appalachia, the mighty Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, and the picturesque glaciers and evergreen forests of Washington. For a while, these week-long backpacking trips on the company PTO were enough. However, growing dissatisfaction with my job and the ever-present desire to hike the Appalachian Trail have forced me to do so.
I have spent much of my twenties, as many people do, with a lot of uncertainty. Adulthood and life are difficult. I have decided to take a step back and walk for the next four to six months. Maybe I will have a revelation that will completely change my life. Or an epic adventure accompanied by memories and friends for life. Time will tell.
Mood when climbing a big hill.
Nothing in my pockets and everything I have is on my back
So, as I conclude this lyric-filled blog, I hope you’ve learned a little about me and are following my journey. Lihat juga vbn6. Except, unlike the late, great Jim Croce, I will be walking back to Maine instead of Georgia.
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