Kristen's Reflections

How am I possibly going to describe what our journey on the Appalachian Trail has meant to me. But I will do my best.

When we left for Springer Mountain, I really wasn't sure what to expect. This had always been my dream to hike the AT, what if my idea of what the trail would entail was completely off? We sacrificed a lot by leaving good jobs, good friends and a good life back in Washington. We took a risk and in the end I am confident the risk was well worth the reward. We hiked and learned about each other, about our country and about people all throughout our adventure. I have heard people say that the toughest choices are always the ones that are the most rewarding-and that is true for our journey on the AT. For us, leaving DC was the hard thing to do, it would have been much easier to stay and work up the social and corporate ladders. For that choice and that risk, I will always be proud of us. It is of my opinion that if we don't take risks and follow our dreams, how will we truly make anything out of our lives?

As for the trail itself, it is genuinely a hidden gem that our nation has. I saw more beautiful sights in 6 months than I have in my entire life. The hills, mountains and wildlife were all incredible. We literally ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at a different spot every day. The AT taught me to get back to the basics. It has made me more aware of what I really need to survive. And even though I know I will want some creature comforts when we return to the real world, I will now become more appreciative of what I do have. The trail has a way of making life simple. All we had was on our backs, and really that's all we needed. The people on the trail, although very different from ourselves, were great. It gave us a chance to connect with people that we normally wouldn't in our everyday life. Learning from others allowed us both to grow as people. The trail also showed us that people are good. If you turn on any news program these days, all you hear about is how our world is filled with terrible people. I wish they would report on all the random acts of kindness that we experienced nearly every day. The AT restored our faith in humanity.

I have no doubt that wouldn't have made it out of the state of Georgia if it weren't for Jason, or Conan. We spent every minute of every day together and it was wonderful. He showed me that I am stronger than I knew I was. We did this trip to make memories together and I know that we took full advantage of our time together. Not many couples get that chance, and for that I am grateful. We were a team and I have never had to lean on him as much as I did on this journey. And he was there for me, fully and without question. I am so happy and proud to be his wife! When we started the trail I felt like I knew my husband very well, and after we are done I am even more convinced that he is a kind, strong and great man. I am thankful that he allowed me to pursue my dream of hiking the AT, and I hope that someday we can pursue a dream of his together, as long as it doesn't involve motorcycles!

I want to thank our families and friends for all of their support. To our parents, we are so thankful for your support, because although we still would have made this journey, having you behind us made it better for us to enjoy. I know for us it has been the most exciting months of our lives, but I am sure for y'all it was the most nerve racking months. To all of our followers and friends, thank you! The encouragement we received was truly overwhelming!

All in all, my husband and I had an adventure of a lifetime and I will always look back on our experience with fond memories. The Appalachian Trail will always be a special place to us, and we are thankful for every minute we had on it!







Conan + Backwards