Appalachian Trail – How? Why?

I am a French.
Not many people know about the AT here in France, even in the French hiker community.
So after the basic first question “What is it?”, I am often asked (among thousands of other questions):
– How did you get the idea to hike this trail?
– Why do you want to do something like that?
So I will do my best to answer those questions here.

How?

How did a French girl, who had not much hiking experience, heard about the Appalachian Trail?
Let me tell you about the events that led me here today.
It was about 8 or 9 years ago.
Sipping a cappuccino in London one day, I was minding my own business when I heard someone laughing. As I turned around, I saw man sitting all by himself who was chuckling hard. He was reading « A walk in the Woods » by Bill Bryson.
I am French. I have never heard of that author before, never heard of his books. But it sounded to be a very funny book to read.
Next thing I know, I was in my local bookshop, buying the book that will start it all…

My first thought was « Some people are crazy! I would never do something like that! ».

But, did I tell you I am French yet? I didn’t know anything about the USA geography, about National Parks, about thru-hikes… So, as I was reading, I googled a lot of new words I was reading for the first time. I googled places’ names, looked for pictures and maps to have a better understanding of what I was reading about.
You know how internet works, right? Algorithms. The more you search for things, the more they will be suggested to you.

So I suddenly bumped into a lot of articles and YouTube videos about hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I watched Darwin on the Trail, Dixie from Homemade Wonderlust, then Try-Try from Act old Later…
It was around that time that I moved to New Zealand, in the countryside. A new lifestyle that offered new hobbies…
I started hiking and camping a lot, for work and for leisure. And I loved it!
So I thought about the AT again. What if?
Hours of research and months of thinking later, it was decided: when my New Zealander visa expires, I will go to the USA and hike the Appalachian Trail!
And in March 2020, I was heading to Amicalola for the first time…

So now you know how.

It all started with a laugh…

Why?

I could simply answer by quoting Grandma Gatewood: because it is there! So why not?
But honestly, I think I have no idea myself.
I love to travel. I always have the best time hiking and backpacking, meeting new people. I like to challenge myself and try new things. I believe the trail can offer all of that at once, so why not?
Hiking the Appalachian Trail was also supposed to be a transition between my life oversea to a settled life with a proper job and home. I was turning 31 and I believed I had to settle somewhere soon. I just wanted to do something special before.

So now you know why.

Because I want to. Because I can.

My first attempt to hike the AT was in March 2020…
I left New Zealand and flew to the USA just before the borders and airports closed.
But I don’t need to remind you what happened that year… I had to get off the trail after only 110 miles and fly back to France on one of the last flights available.
I did settle for a while, in one of the biggest cities of France. But the idea to hike the AT never left me…
So here I am today. Quitting my job, quitting my apartment, and leaving my country with a one-way ticket for Atlanta in March.
In a few days, I will be on the trail once again. One goal in mind: to reach the 2,200 mile mark!