Home Adventure Tattoos and Memories of the Appalachian Trail

Tattoos and Memories of the Appalachian Trail

by Ashli

April 1st marked my one year anniversary of flying down to Atlanta Georgia to begin my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. Memories fade fast but I can still remember the intense emotions from that day. Kyle and I flew out of Trenton-Mercer airport, one of the smallest airports I had ever been to. There was a small bar area where we sat with my husband Andrew, and waited to board. When it was time to say goodbye, Andrew handed me a snickers bar and a letter. The snickers bar wouldn’t last very long, but I would carry that letter with me all the way to Maine.

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Tiny Trenton Airport

When Kyle and I landed in Georgia, shuttle driver Ron Brown picked us up. We packed our things into the back of his car and I crammed into the backseat with two other hikers who were on their way to the trail. The drive consisted of Ron telling us stories of novice hikers who were underprepared and horror stories of people who called him for rescue before even leaving the parking lot.  As experienced hikers we were enthralled, but the message was clear. This hike isn’t for everyone. We were dropped off in the parking lot at Amicalola Falls State Park. A shelter sat within viewing distance and I could see that there were already a handful of hikers there setting up their tents and hammocks. We didn’t know it then, but a few of these hikers wouldn’t make it, some would take off the next morning so fast that we would never see them again, and some we would play the worlds longest game of leap frog with for the next 6 months. My nerves were so high I could barely eat. I ended up throwing away most of my dinner in the trash can at the visitors center (a sin in the hiking world). But my worries were for nothing. The next day I would hike 9 miles uphill with my heavy pack, and stand on top of Springer Mountain, the official starting point of the Appalachian Trail, with tears in my eyes. I was astounded that I had the bravery to make it even this far. Just to get to this point I had to quit my job, pack my things, say goodbye to my husband and hike into the wilderness and the unknown. I was filled with doubt and worry but as I went to sleep that night, I knew that I could make it.

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The first white blaze on top of Springer Mountain

A year after starting my hike I am a different person. In fact a have written a few blog posts about how different I feel. To commemorate the one year anniversary this month, I decided to get a tattoo, a simple depiction of the symbol for the Appalachian trail.

The entire hike took 6 months, but it went by so fast that sometimes it seems like it never happened. A lot of the time, I fail to realize how huge of an accomplishment I have made. I want this tattoo with serve as a reminder of my strength and perseverance and to always be looking for the next big adventure.

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