Thank You

Nearly two weeks after finishing the longest walk of my life, I’ve had some time to reflect on this journey (though not much bc three puppies is a lot). Primarily I’ve been thinking about everyone who made this hike possible (and better than I ever could have imagined). I want to express my gratitude first, to everyone who contributed to the Trevor Project!! I hike because I love it and I feel most myself on trail. I feel the way everyone but especially queer and trans people deserve to feel in a world that teaches us to hate ourselves and preaches violence against us. The Trevor Project works to provide space and resources for lgbtq youth to help them feel that self love and confidence that I feel as a queer trans person on trail If you would like to donate the link is in my bio - EVERYTHING helps The glue holding this entire hike together is Colin. This hike very literally would not have happened without him mailing us resupply packages, helping us rescue and care for the dogs, and being my rock no matter what even while re-integrating to society post deployment. Colin has supported my dreams unconditionally and actively. You are my best friend My mom cooked and dehydrated the most delicious meals for our resupply packages. They were the thing that got me through each freezing rainy day in Montana and Wyoming. I have a lot of food intolerances so she found high calorie backpacking meals to make for us and she helped us see creative solutions to problems we faced on trail. I love my mom! The person who kept me sane on trail (and off) is one of my favorite people in the entire world, Jack. He is the first person I call to tell anything and everything. He always reflects back to me who I am, calls me on my bullshit, helps me see the best path forward, and makes me laugh so hard I pee my pants. I am who I am today because of Jack and that’s not hyperbole. Literally everybody loves Jack and I am so damn lucky to have him in my life The dogs - Truman, Cooper, Monkey. Monkey was with us for 100 miles before we sent him home to live the lavish little LA doggy life he deserves I wrote a whole post about hiking with dogs and how the dogs in my life have changed me forever. They make me a better person and they are my best friends Thank you to the friends who visited us on trail - Bret, Victoria, Windsor, and Pavlin - I always wished friends would visit me on the AT so making the drive to see us on trail meant more than you know Thank you most of all to my partner, Sean. I would not have finished this hike without him and I probably wouldn’t even have started because he is the one who encouraged me to pursue my dreams. He is also the only person who shares those dreams and has the guts to chase them with me. How can I articulate my gratitude for the person who made my longtime dream possible and who hiked literally along side me every day 24/7 for five months? It takes more than a paragraph so stay tuned. Last but not least thank YOU. Not in the “thanks to everyone who followed along this journey” way but thank you to everyone who showed up when I needed you most. You know who you are If you don’t think I’m talking to you I AM and I mean it. Thank you to the people, close friends, strangers, and everyone in between who told me how you feel when I made mistakes or inspired you. Your words helped me become the best version of myself and that is why I hike. I am here for you whenever you as well and I truly mean that, even if we haven’t known each other very long (or at all).