Here is a memory I never want to forget:

Setting: March 2020. Spring Break. Destination: Great Smoky Mountains

My boyfriend, James, and I had been diligently planning a backpacking trip to the Great Smoky Mountains for Spring Break. Planning began in January and the preperation did not stop until we finally finished packing up my car and drove away from College Station.

The first day we hiked about 10 miles and it was beautiful. It was such a great first day! The views were amazing and THERE WAS SNOW! ON THE GROUND! The first 5 miles had lots of ice and small waterfalls while the last 5 miles had fresh snow that was untouched.

On the second day, we only hiked on the Appalachian trail. This trail was so much better than the first day becuase the trail was a lot more level. We were able to meet a lot of interesting people on the trail. Some were students on break from school while others had quit their jobs to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. In total, James and I hiked for five days! It was so much fun and I wish I could go back!

A funny memory I have from this trip is the fourth night. On the Appalachian trail, there are shelters that all hikers sleep in. You can think of it like a cabin, except its missing one wall. On the fourth night, there were a lot of college students staying at the shelter and many of them had cell phone service, but James and I didn’t. There were students from Washington D.C., Vermont, and Mississippi who were all saying that their spring break was being extended by another week due to COVID-19. James and I were shocked because we hadn’t heard about any of this! We hadn’t been connected to society in four days! Turns out, while James and I were hiking off the grid, the world was shutting down. Colleges were going online, the NBA season was cancelled, and Tom Hanks was sick! I realized that James and I were so lucky to not only be in the mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina, but also to be able to be oblivious to the crazy things happening back home.

Some of my long terms goals are to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or the Continential Divide Trail (CDT). I also would like to complete a 50k (or higher milege) trail race. Hiking and running outside is such a rewarding activity for me. Every time I spend a couple days out in the wilderness, I am changed for the better.

Here is a picture of a super yummy dessert we had in Nashville two nights after getting done hiking! I had found this dessert place on Instagram before leaving for the trip and James had promised that we would eat there when we got to Nashville. I thought about it every single day we were hiking and it was so worth it!