On April 13, 2015 I took my first step onto the Appalachian Trail. You would think with my alma mater being Appalachian State University I would be a seasoned AT hiker, yet I was brand new to this soil. The air was dense and impossible to see more than 20 feet ahead as my dad's 4 wheel drive did the best it could to pull us up to the top of Springer Mountain. As we ascend to the parking lot the rain begins and my tear ducts are on the verge of losing control, but I remain still and stare blankly out the window. At this point my nerves are so intense I feel like they have taken on a life of their own and are phsyically strangling me. What am I doing here? Why do I think I am good enough to take this challenge on? shit. We pull into the parking lot and my mom turns around in her seat to face me, fierce doubt and worry fill her eyes. "You dont have to do this you know, you don't have to get out of the car. We can turn around and go home right now." She is saying all the words I want to hear, but can't rouse. I was on the verge. This was the tipping point. I just shake my head no, because words are too much for me to handle. I zip up my rain jacket, snap my hiking poles in place, take a deep breath, and open the door. I step out into the rain and decide the best approach is to move quickly and get the hell out of there, away from any opportunity to crumble under the pressure and get back in the car. My parents insist I take a photo for them. I put my sunglasses on because I know that is the last step before the goodbyes, the tears start but are concealed under the polarized lense. I hug my parents, muster up "I love you" and take the first of many steps to come...

 

This is a photographic documentation of my 1,200 mile journey on the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Duncannon, Pennsylvania.