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I rolled into the Nantahala Outdoor Center with complimentary goals: to rest my body with relaxing days off trail and to recharge my soul with company from back home. I call Charlotte, NC base, and living in an AT state has turned out to be more than just a logistical benefit. The city’s proximity to the trail provides the opportunity for visits from friends in these early weeks, and I am taking advantage.
Two friends joined me at various times throughout my two days at the NOC, gifting me their time and company. We traded Clif bars for pizza and debated the essence of rivers from the comfort of cushioned chairs. Being from an AT state meant my world and the trail weren’t two separate entities—I could blend them together and let them mingle.
But beyond the personal benefit of seeing friends and having easy access to town, I’ve started to realize how much the trail shapes life in a state like North Carolina. When I first started thinking seriously about a big life reset—something to shake off the routine and recenter—I kept circling back to the Appalachian Trail. A big part of that pull was simple geography: I already lived in North Carolina. The trail was practically in my backyard. It just made sense.
The AT is more than a footpath stretching nearly 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine. In trail states—fourteen in all—the AT isn’t just something you hike, it’s something that shows up in little ways throughout the community. From passing thru hikers along my own weekend adventures to seeing posts from local establishments out providing trail magic, the past years in Charlotte have been subtly influencing me, the trail’s presence making my decision inevitable. Like catching the scent of honeysuckle before you see the vine, its presence is felt even when unseen.
So yes, these zeros were about rest and reconnection and lots of food. But it was also about gratitude. For being from a place where the trail doesn’t just pass through—it roots itself. Living in an AT state isn’t just geography—it’s part of identity.
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