Alyssa Engiles

Hi All! After retiring from being a scuba instructor I have decided to leave the gorgeous Florida Keys in search of a new adventure, namely thru hiking the AT in 2015! I'm a vegan, bibliophile, scuba bum, and generally snarky individual with aspirations of avoiding "a real job" for as long as possible.

Posts

Everything was beautiful, and everything hurt

Everything was beautiful, and everything hurt

One might think that with 69 day of hiking I would have had plenty of time to think of how to best describe my initial 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail,

Jul 23, 2015 : Alyssa Engiles
Appalachian Trail and Trials, Here I Come!

Appalachian Trail and Trials, Here I Come!

The Trail It seems hard to believe that after months of acquiring gear, saving my pennies, reading trail journals and blogs, and generally being

May 16, 2015 : Alyssa Engiles
I Would Rather Be Here Now

I Would Rather Be Here Now

As my departure date fast approaches and as more and more hikers are hitting the trail I am finding increasingly difficult to concentrate on my everyday routine. With social media and Appalachian Trials it is entirely too easy to be swept up in the flurry of posts and photos about hikers starting their journey. The problem is I am still employed, and have two months until my departure. How do I slow down the spinning hamster wheel that my mind feels like, and just enjoy the ride?

Mar 14, 2015 : Alyssa Engiles
Why I am Leaving Paradise to Hike the Appalachian Trail

Why I am Leaving Paradise to Hike the Appalachian Trail

Paradise Lost Left What could possess me to give up my fabulous job, excellent friends, and tropical home in the Florida Keys to haul a pack up and

Feb 5, 2015 : Alyssa Engiles