​The Appalachian Trail is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it's a break from a dead-end job and a way to take time and think about what's next in life. For others, it's about living untethered from technology and modern conveniences and taking the time to appreciate nature, and the great outdoors - Sure, whatever. For me, the trail was really about one thing: Doing something that for me, required the kind of discipline, humility, and dogged determination that I'd never really demonstrated before. For the first 19 years of my life, I'd never done anything really hard. And when I did, I usually found a way to quit. Someone said this about my hike on social media, "the trail should always be about learning to love and respect nature, not about slogging and grinding." Ha, wow, someone didn't get the memo. Now, while I do agree in part with that statement, it's not entirely accurate. For example, when you're grinding it out in Virginia during the middle of a summer heat wave, the beauty of nature takes a back seat to finding water and pushing through miles to get to the next shelter before dark. So yes, there's unbelievable wonder and beauty all over the trail, and it must be appreciated and respected. But when I hit the Pennsylvania border, headed north, with over 1,100 miles still to go, the hike became all about one thing, the pursuit of Katahdin. In fact, the entire hike in essence became the Katahdin approach trail. I made it too, just kept putting one foot in front of the other as they say. Totally worth it too!

The images and artwork here are a creative way to share my experience. These images remind me of the adventure, the people, and the amazing time I had on the A.T.

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I love the A.T. too. It's part of me now. I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone too, and go visit the A.T. or any trail for that matter. Go see what awaits you. Allow the trail to help your current way of life, let go of you for a few hours to enjoy the amazing creation that God has made for us to enjoy. This also includes the entire A. T. support community, the best people in the world. If you're interested in knowing more about my thru-hike, or you have one planned this coming year. Reach out and connect. I'd love to hear from you and help you make the most of your adventure.

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Enjoy the art, I hope it brings you a little closer to the trail.

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- Big Ramen