Oct 7, 2026 · 41 min · 12 segments
Months on trail have a way of teaching lessons that no guidebook can prepare you for. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents reflect on the moments, mistakes, surprises, and hard-earned wisdom that have…
Hey y'all it's Pipsqueak here and I'm going to be kind of talking about today about the lessons learned on the Appalachian Trail so far and I'm kind of going to cover some questions of what like what's one lesson that I've learned that really stuck with me and did that lesson come from a specific moment or experience well I think one thing that's really stuck with me is that, you know, whenever I left home is that, you know, I had a whole bunch of people kind of come out for my going away party.
And, you know, they were all excited to see me get out here and tackle the Appalachian Trail.
And out of all those people that came, only two people have actually sent me texts or called me or, you know, um, have kind of just been there for me for the, for, for the whole trail.
And that's kind of tough cause it's like, you know, all those friends and everything that you thought were like close and good friends of yours, they haven't reached out.
And, um, it is kind of tough just, you know, you kind of realize who your real friends are.
And so that's going to be kind of tough going back home and be like, Hey, you didn't support me while I was out there.
This, this has been a life changing experience and you guys weren't there for, for that.
I mean, it's, it's, it's a hard way to look at it, but, uh, Um, that's just something that, um, that I felt has, um, kind of really opened up my eyes.
Um, you're going to have to keep the people that are actually there for you, uh, close by.
is that um you know not everybody's going to be there for you and the ones that are you got to keep those clothes you got to keep that
you don't have to have tons of friends or anything like that um you know some people on facebook you know they got a thousand friends but they never talk to anybody up so it doesn't matter if you if i just have one or two people following me for the whole trail that's fine um I'd rather have those people in my corner for life than have friends that just kind of stick around just to kind of leech off you and get whatever they can off of you.
Cause that's, that's kind of what, what I start to realize is like, you know, back home, it's like anytime they ask me to come over, help them with something like that, boom, I'm there.
But whenever I'm out on this trail, I need just mental guidance and support along the way.
Hey y'all it's Pipsqueak here and I'm going to be kind of talking about today about the lessons learned on the Appalachian Trail so far and I'm kind of going to cover some questions of what like what's one lesson that I've learned that really stuck with me and did that lesson come from a specific moment or experience well I think one thing that's really stuck with me is that, you know, whenever I left home is that, you know, I had a whole bunch of people kind of come out for my going away party.
And, you know, they were all excited to see me get out here and tackle the Appalachian Trail.
And out of all those people that came, only two people have actually sent me texts or called me or, you know, um, have kind of just been there for me for the, for, for the whole trail.
And that's kind of tough cause it's like, you know, all those friends and everything that you thought were like close and good friends of yours, they haven't reached out.
And, um, it is kind of tough just, you know, you kind of realize who your real friends are.
And so that's going to be kind of tough going back home and be like, Hey, you didn't support me while I was out there.
This, this has been a life changing experience and you guys weren't there for, for that.
I mean, it's, it's, it's a hard way to look at it, but, uh, Um, that's just something that, um, that I felt has, um, kind of really opened up my eyes.
Um, you're going to have to keep the people that are actually there for you, uh, close by.
is that um you know not everybody's going to be there for you and the ones that are you got to keep those clothes you got to keep that
you don't have to have tons of friends or anything like that um you know some people on facebook you know they got a thousand friends but they never talk to anybody up so it doesn't matter if you if i just have one or two people following me for the whole trail that's fine um I'd rather have those people in my corner for life than have friends that just kind of stick around just to kind of leech off you and get whatever they can off of you.
Cause that's, that's kind of what, what I start to realize is like, you know, back home, it's like anytime they ask me to come over, help them with something like that, boom, I'm there.
But whenever I'm out on this trail, I need just mental guidance and support along the way.
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