In June 2021, I needed to decide whether or not I still loved backpacking.  On the verge of my 50th year, I decided to walk through my Motherland on the Appalachian Trail. It was ~200 miles from Hot Springs, NC, to Damascus, VA, that took me 13 days.  I met some awesome people, learned a lot about my gear, and fell in love again with long-distance hiking.  Whether or not it actually prepared me for my first LASH on the CDT, it did help.  Some pictures from this Walk in the Motherland are below.