The Adventures of Social Media

Imagine…

You are just sitting down to a comfortable dinner in your cozy house, living your content life, safe in your Hobbit hole, when suddenly there is a knock at your door. Before you know it, that initial knock is followed by more knocks. A slew of dwarves is flooding into your quiet life, bringing chaos with little to no regard for the peaceful evening you were indulging in, or your grandmother’s doilies for that matter.

Okay, so maybe that’s not really how my story goes. I may not be a burglar, or a Hobbit, or selected by Gandalf, but I do feel like the 14^th member of a fellowship headed on a great quest. My name is Jessie, and I am the new Marketing Intern for Appalachian Trials.

I first learned about the AT when I was about 10. Standing in line, waiting to check out a backpack for my first overnight hike at adventure camp, I spotted a map posted on the wall.  A  trail marked in green snaked up from Georgia towards Maine, twisting and turning over the contour lines I barely understood. One of the counselors noticed my interest and  explained what the AT was, and he pointed to where our trip would be going. We would be seeing a small section of the Grayson Highlands. I was in love.

I am not yet an official thru hiker, but I’ve spent time exploring the North Carolina and Virginia sections of the trail, and even accidentally hiked pieces of the International AT in Ireland. While my boots and pack lay dormant, awaiting the great thaw of Colorado’s 14ers, I am thrilled to vicariously hike through bloggers and the Appalachian Trials community.

Thrill seekers, hiker enthusiasts, and loyal blog lovers alike— fear not, your social media is in good hands, even though I don’t have a magic ring.