Hello from Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania!

It’s July 9th and I’ve passed the halfway point! I’ve been on the trail for three months now and I’ve hiked 1121.3 miles. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this experience has been so far. And I have an entire second half to begin now!

I made it to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on July 1st. I walked to the ATC Headquarters where they took my picture for the hiker catalog. I was the 1,040th hiker to come through on a Northbound thru-hike this season.

Pretty cool! My sister who lives in West Virginia met me there and I stayed with her for two nights! It was really great to spend time with her and her family. They stuffed me full of tacos and pie. I also got to swim in their pool and watch my favorite summer movies- Jaws!

I got back to the trail on July 4th and celebrated by hiking to Maryland! Maryland was the flattest state so far and I must say that was pretty nice. Although the AT doesn’t go through the most mountainous parts of Maryland, it did go through the sections with a lot of Civil War history. The parks that the trail passed through were beautiful and if you’ve never been out that way I highly recommend taking the trip. I made it through Maryland in two days and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania! On my three month trail-versary, July 7th, I hit the halfway point! I’d hiked 1094.6 miles and it felt so great to hit such a huge milestone.

Not a day passes by when I don’t feel like the luckiest person in the world. I am beyond grateful for this experience. I’m so proud of myself for setting out on this adventure and for making it this far! Thru-hiking is certainly not an easy feat, but one worth all the pain and challenges. My favorite moments are those when I finally make it to the top of a mountain and I am rewarded with a spectacular view of the mountains I’ve already traversed, or will be soon. I also truly love the parts of the day when I’m just hiking along, in my rhythm, when it’s just me and the trail. It’s really nice.

The hardest time so far was when I had terrible shin splints. I tried hiking despite them, but the pain was excruciating. Having to stay behind when all I wanted to do was hike on was the most difficult challenge so far. It’s really frustrating when your body doesn’t cooperate and you know you are capable of something but you’re unable to do it.

It’s really difficult to list my favorite places so far. Mostly because they usually happened unexpectedly like at the summit of an “unnamed” mountain when I got a view I wasn’t expecting. Or after a difficult climb to the top of a bald to find my favorite hikers all sitting and enjoying the view. I’ve taken thousands of photos so far, so I can’t even begin to choose my favorite places.

My favorite off trail experience however, was spending a weekend in a cabin outside of Hot Springs with 10 other hikers. We had so much fun! We ate for two days straight in full hiker hunger mode and we had a hot tub! I also loved the time at my sister’s house of course!

My favorite trail town so far has been Luray, VA. It was the most hiker friendly town I’ve been to. The locals offered us rides and help without us even asking. The motel we stayed in was great too! It was the Hillside Inn. The staff was very hospitable and the room was awesome! I highly recommend staying there and visiting Luray!

I don’t often find myself missing anything, as surprising as that may be. Many people ask if I miss TV, but I was not big on TV before the trail, so I don’t miss that. I still talk to my friends and family and I know I will get to see them after I finish, so I’m not homesick at all. The things I miss I usually don’t realize until I get a taste of them. For example, a couple days ago I came to a park with mowed grass and I laid in it for a good hour- an incredible hour! I realized then that I miss grass- and laying in it. It’s mostly the little things that I never even thought about before. Of course I miss having a variety of food at all times, but I get to indulge weekly. And also my weekly hot shower is well earned and never taken for granted haha!

There are days when I wake up and I do not want to get out of my sleeping bag and hike all day, especially on cold, rainy days. But that usually goes away pretty quickly and by the time my feet are on the trail I’m already smiling again. If I’m having a rough day, more pain than usual or accidentally accumulating “bonus miles” (i.e. following the wrong trail, hiking in the wrong direction, getting lost), all it takes is meeting up with other hikers and having a good laugh with them. Hikers are undoubtedly the best people in the world! We are always here for each other and when we get together we are always laughing.

The other hikers have been the most surprising part of my experience. I knew I’d meet some great people out here, but I had no idea how many and just how great they’d be! I can honestly say they are some of my best friends now. I feel so lucky that I’ve gotten to meet so many people from all over the world! And I’m still meeting new people everyday.

This hike has been so different from any other outdoor experience I’ve ever had. It’s not just a “nature walk”, it’s not just about seeing wildlife, it’s not just about climbing mountains. It’s so much more. It’s about actually LIVING outside in the elements. Rain or shine, hot or cold I’m outside. It’s about waking up and being excited for another new adventure. It’s about really getting to know who you are at your core. It’s about growing as a person through experiences and challenges. It’s about living with less and being more comfortable than ever. It’s about embracing a new community of people and sharing an amazing experience with them. It’s so many things- so many incredible, life changing things.

It somehow feels both like it took forever to get this far and also like time is flying by. I feel like I’m truly LIVING each and every day for the first time in my life. There are no distractions out here. (Well, sometimes food can be a pretty big one- haha!) But I am truly experiencing every minute in the rawest way I know possible. I get to see places most people will never see. I get to experience life in a way many people will never give themselves. But I wish everyone would.