Thru-hiking gets a lot of attention these days and it’s no surprise. Many of us who are trapped in a cubicle from 9 - 5 can’t help but be captivated by the romance of quitting your job and unsubscribing from pretty much all societal norms for six months. No more screens, no more commuting, just you and the trail and nothing but the soles of your hiking boots in between the two.
The lure of a freer existence tempts more than 3,000 people out of their office chairs and onto the Appalachian Trail every year. About a quarter of those hikers make it to the end. And of those people who spend a significant amount of time on the trail, almost everyone finds the return to so-called ‘real life’ challenging.
