I’m walking the AT

Who am I?

Starting with my name should be the easiest part, but somehow it seems like the trickiest place to start.

My legal name is Arianna, although I only see it on important documents or when I have problems with my mother. Ari is what I have known for most of my life; After all, four syllables can be a mouthful.

Then, about two years ago, a new name came along: Piper. Or Pipey. Or pipe. Or Pipsqueak.

I moved to Key West for work and quickly became part of a group of friends where almost everyone had an A name. The confusion was constant. Someone jokingly suggested that one of us should change names, I was assigned Piper, and what was supposed to be a short-lived joke somehow turned into me introducing myself entirely as Piper.

Now I’m about to go over 2000 miles and earn a third name: the name of a trail. At this point I’m not sure how many names a person can reasonably have, but I guess we’re about to find out.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Applied Nutrition and for the past two years I have worked for a non-profit organization fighting hunger in Key West, focusing on nutrition education and volunteer coordination. When I’m not working, I love sewing, beading, drawing, beach styling, and any creative hobby that allows me to do something with my hands.

And now… I’m about to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Why am I hiking?

I’m walking for me.

I first heard about the Appalachian Trail when I was 16 years old. A zipline tour guide casually mentioned that he had a friend hiking over 2,000 miles along something called the AT. He said it took six months and it was something he would do never do.

The moment I got home, I fell down the rabbit hole.

What might have been a fleeting thought for most teenagers became an obsession. I knew I wanted to do it one day.

Who do I picture when I think of who is walking the trail…teenage me. So much anguish!

My original plan was to hike in 2024, right after I graduated from college. Instead, I was given the opportunity to live and work in paradise; Key West, Florida. For the past two years, I have worked at a hunger relief nonprofit, doing meaningful and creative work in a community I have come to love deeply.

But now that chapter is coming to an end.

I feel like I’ve reached the edge of something. Instead of staying where I feel comfortable, I want to take a step into the unknown. It seems there is no better place to start over than on the road.

Fears + Excitement

I’m incredibly excited. And also very, very nervous.

I’ve been hiking and camping my whole life and have gone on backpacking trips before, but I’m definitely out of practice. Florida isn’t exactly known for its mountains, and Key West has exactly one real hill… which is actually an old garbage dump. Literally.

In search of some mountains, land ho!

I’m also afraid of leaving my job and moving away from stability. What if I get hurt and have to go off the road? What if I hate him? What if the dream I’ve carried for almost a decade isn’t everything I imagined?

But then I wonder if that anxiety is just the comforting voice trying to keep me still.

I need to stop my noncompliance.

And I can’t wait to start walking.

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