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Walked Away from Corporate America—Now I’m Walking 2,000 Miles
Why I’m Hiking the Appalachian Trail
What does it mean to feel at home in the world? Not just to exist in it, but to belong to it?
We grow up being told what life is supposed to be. The right way to move through it, the things we should want, the people we should become. We take those stories as truth. We never stop to ask where they came from or if they were even meant for us at all.
Who created this blueprint? When did I ever agree to it?
Of course, I will think about the life I left behind—the fluorescent-lit offices, the endless emails, the feeling of being slowly swallowed by something vast and inhuman. Corporate America always felt like some sort of eldritch horror, a machine with too many moving parts, grinding away at something no one could quite name. Kafka had it right.
You give your career your time, your energy, the best years of your life, and in return, it gives you just enough to keep you from leaving. But I did leave. And out here, under the open sky, that world feels like a bad dream I finally woke up from.
That day inevitably comes for a small group of us. We wake up. We realize the world is bigger than the story we have been told. And once you see that, you can’t unsee it.
That’s why I’m walking.
“There is Something That Doesn’t Love a Wall”
For most of my life, I’ve been told that safety is everything. Stay on the path. Don’t take risks. Build walls around yourself so nothing can touch you. But walls don’t just keep danger out—they keep you in. And after a while, the walls start to feel like the whole world.
I want something different. I want to be stretched out under an endless sky, feeling the earth under my back, knowing there’s nothing between me and the stars. I want to wake up with the sun, eat when I’m hungry, walk until my legs give out. I want to live by something older and truer than alarm clocks and calendars.
People call that reckless. I think it’s the opposite.
A Long Walk Inward
I don’t know what I’ll find out here. Maybe nothing. Maybe just a lot of dirt under my fingernails and a good appetite. Or maybe I’ll walk far enough that the old stories start to fall away and I’ll see what’s underneath them.
The bears don’t question the seasons. The trees don’t wonder whether they should hold onto their leaves or let them go. But we spend our lives second-guessing, trying to be something other than what we are.
I’m done with that.
So I’ll walk. I’ll let the miles strip away the things I don’t need. I’ll listen to the wind, to the birds, to the silence. And maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll hear something that feels like the truth.
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Comments 19
Kyle I’ve never been so proud of you you are an amazing grandchild love you so much safe journey and so proud of you Nana and Papa
My biggest fans!
Love you both.
Getting lots of treats from my caregivers.
Happy trails
Beautifully written. I am so proud of you and hope this journey provides you clarity. Keep me posted on your progress
Kyle
Love yours words
So very proud of you and hope you find what you are looking for
Love ya
Tim
Take me with you!!!
So perfectly described and as someone still “stuck feeding the machine” I am so proud of you for forging your own path forward. Can’t wait to follow along on your journey!
You were born for this. Keep your mind and heart open and keep truckin’. Don’t forget to update the blog! You’re a talented writer.
Good luck on your journey. I’ll keep an eye out for you. I maintain a section about 5 miles north of the southern entrance of SNP.
Wow, really eloquently said. Looking forward to keeping up with your experience.
Your soul knows what it needs. When I walked away by retiring 12 years early, those corp execs threw money at me thinking that is what would make me stay. I can attest that the worst day on trail is better then the best day in corporate America.
A long walk of healing and putting yourself first, will keep a smile on your face and generate real memories for the rest of your life. Enjoy the journey, don’t rush to the end.
I’m going to like hearing about your trip & all that you are learning along the way. I sat in a cubicle for 13 years on the hamster wheel & hiked day hikes with my kids when I could but now at 71 I enjoy hearing the life lessons learned on trail with you all. So thankful for this site! Have fun growing into who you really are!
Loved your post! You have made a powerful decision that will forever change your life, for the better!
Drip drip, hottie
(Seriously though this was so lovely Kyle!!!!)
It is great that you understand “why” you are leaving corporate America and expectations. If can add some unsolicited advice; keep a very open mind as you embark. Be careful you don’t create new expectations that are not realized for various reasons. Dig a little deeper for “why” you want to hike…more than the escape from corporate life and walls. You may find that there are new walls and new cultural expectations that do not work either. I am not saying you will, but suggest you dig a bit deeper.
In the few times we have talked in the past years, I’ve always thought that the life you were living was too small for you. That you were meant for something more. It looks like you have found a path( literally) to something bigger. So happy for you, supportive and proud that you decided to make big changes.
Kyle, I’m a friend of your mom’s and was so excited to hear you are on this journey! You are doing something that so many of us wish we had the courage to do! I hope you continue to write and keep us all posted on your journey. It takes someone special to appreciate the beauty of being out there in nature and truly understand it. I will be cheering you on!
I’m a rando, but I was really touched by your post. Walk well, Kyle!
Dude it’s stardust. Great meeting you. Keep up the good writing and good hiking. Good luck and keep an eye out for my boy Noway.