This isn’t just a vacation.

I’ve wondered a lot about what I’m going to write on this blog, even before I knew I was one of the people selected to write. I had a Tumblr that I “managed” for all of two months(ish.) I didn’t write much there, just because I couldn’t really properly convey myself in the posts. So, I trashed most of them and just started uploading captioned photos. I eventually started getting  too concerned with the content and my  husband reminded me that it isn’t a job. And he’s totally right. So we’re just going to have fun with this. We hope you’re into our nonsense as much as we are.

Before you start to think we’re experienced at any of this*, (*this meaning hiking, reading maps, camping, anything non-city life) we just need to fully disclose that we are like 90% new to everything listed above and all that is related to it. There’s a lot we don’t know or understand yet, and although we’ve been trying to reach out to experienced hikers for advice, we’ve gotten a lot of negative feedback. One thing we’re seeing a lot of: The trail will chew you up and spit you out. A laughable assumption. I’ve been told to eat stinging nettles, stay home, go to the beach instead, and my favorite: IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD A VACATION, DON’T TAKE A VACATION.

(A little back story to that one, I was asking about buying gear and food on a seriously tight budget. A common concern among hikers, right?) And, another disclosure: this isn’t just a vacation. In fact, this isn’t a vacation at all. Calling this a vacation would imply that we plan on returning to our normal lives once we’ve finished our thru hike. When we leave, we are abandoning everything. We won’t have jobs to come home to. We won’t even have a home to come home to. Once we’re done with the AT, it’s on to the next trail. It won’t be easy, but we don’t plan on living comfortably on the trail like some adventurers have chosen. That means, no hotel stays, no restaurants, no easy living.

To someone who lives comfortably with a narrow mind, we’re considered naive. To someone who supports true freedom and open mindedness, we’re liberated. To us, we’re just living our lives happily, doing what we want and doing whatever it takes to get there.

Thank you for reading. I hope throughout our experience we help someone break free of the false sense of freedom our screwed up society has instilled in people. Remember, make your time here count. Don’t do anything that doesn’t make you happy. There are always other options to explore. Hold positivity close to your heart, body, mind and soul and the rest will follow (something we’re still working on, but slowly getting the hang of.)

God bless you all,

-Juniper.