THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
EVERY MILE WALKED IS A MILE SURVIVED
A PATH THROUGH THE WILD & THROUGH GRIEF -
The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a 2,198-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine, crossing 14 states and the spines of the oldest mountains in North America. It’s the longest hiking-only trail in the world, but its significance goes far beyond the terrain.
The trail was born from loss.
Its creator, Benton MacKaye, wasn’t an athlete or adventurer — he was a grieving husband, a visionary who lost his wife to suicide. In the aftermath of her death, as the modern world became louder, faster, and more disconnected, MacKaye envisioned the AT as a sanctuary:
“A place to restore sanity to a world unraveling by industry, capitalism, and chaos.”
Completed in 1937, the Appalachian Trail was his protest — a call back to simplicity, solitude, and the healing power of wilderness.
WHY I'M CHOOSING TO HIKE THE AT
I’m not walking the Appalachian Trail to be found.
I’m walking it to remember who I was before the world caved in.
Before grief.
Before addiction.
Before my emotional support dog, Finn, died in my arms — and I had to let go before I was ready.
This isn’t just a trail for me. It’s a crucible. A pilgrimage. A long exhale after years of breathless panic.
Like Benton, I am walking to reclaim my mind, to honor what I’ve lost, and to resist the noise of a world that told me I was broken beyond repair.
THE SCIENCE: NATURE HEALS WHAT THE MODERN WORLD DESTROYS
Studies show that time in nature reduces anxiety, lowers depression, and increases self-worth.
120 minutes per week in green space significantly improves mental health. (Nature, 2019)
Cortisol levels drop and serotonin rises after just 30 minutes in forest environments. (Environmental Health, 2010)
Hiking supports emotional regulation and recovery for those with trauma, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. (Frontiers in Psychology, 2021)
This isn’t anecdote. It’s medicine.
And the trail is the delivery system.
FROM DARKNESS TO DISTANCE
This journey is my resistance.
My rebellion.
My resurrection.
I’m walking not just to survive — but to remind others that healing is slow, sacred, and possible.
If you’ve ever screamed into the void and heard nothing back — I’m walking for you, too.