When you feellike giving up,beaten and bruised. The blood tricklingdown your face,marred and scarred. When you feelthis is the end,losing your will. Get up!O’ kindredsoul. Get up!Don’t bowdown. For when allis against you,you’re the strongest. Amid the tauntsthe names,the labels. “Stupid!Idiot!”They scream. “Clueless!Worthless!”They spit out. Like venomthey vomit,toxic normality. Rise above it,drown their wordswith conviction. ...

It’s been eight years since the beginning of my hike on The Appalachian Trail. But, before I began my full hike in 2013, I completed one-month hikes with my Dad. We went for two consecutive years. First through Pennsylvania, and then from New York to Massachusetts. They were my first taste of the Appalachian Trail, ...