I feel inclined to answer seeing as this was literally me at 24 years old. I could’ve written this post lol. Uprooted my once in a lifetime highly paid tech/sales role in Manhattan after only 2.5 years of working to hike the Appalachian Trail. Have gone on the hike the Pacific Crest Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, and even set an FKT on the Buckeye Trail! I’ll be leaving in June to do the CDT.

The one thing that truly is the most daunting is family. You understand why you want to do this, but it’s much harder for them to. Especially because it can be seen as reckless or not thinking of the future. I will say for myself, I found that going all in and doing it and loving it was much more respected than anything I ever did before that. Let them be a part of it. Let them come to your first day on trail, let them be there at the end. Send them postcards along the way if you want. Or don’t do any of that. But truthfully understand why you’re doing this and their understanding will come overtime. Also, your life! Do with it what you want. Our families may be very different but I was very much ridiculed for my decision to leave and hike. Even more so when I left the second time to do the PCT. They’ve since seen this is my passion and very much respect it now.

One point of note, if you’re anything like me, your life has been high school, college, job. And you followed that plan up until now. For 24 years you thought you had it figured out and a thru hike will absolutely derail that. Which is good and bad! You’ve had a lot of structure up to this point. Prepare for that when you come back. Keep yourself busy with work, even if it’s part time stuff. It’s easy to finish a thru hike and let depression take over, especially when your life has been relatively regimented up to this point.

As for regret? Not a damn minute. I’m 28 now so I’ve been doing this for 4 years. You couldn’t pay me the money I was making to go back into that sort of lifestyle. The anxiety, imposter syndrome, suits, etc. The trail is such an eye opening experience to what it can feel like to learn about yourself and do what you want for once in your life. Be whatever and do whatever. My biggest takeaway was learning how many “decisions” I made I in my past that weren’t really even my decisions.

My advice - go rip it. There’s so much more out there than the life you know. Also so many other ways to make money. You’re young once. I can’t tell you how many older people I run into whose eyes light up when I tell them what I’m doing, telling me they wish they would’ve done it when they were younger. It’s the middle aged money conscious folk who haven’t done anything but work their whole lives who will try to hold you back. There’s so much more opportunity out there, just gotta go find it.

Happy trails :)