While in Johnson City, Tuan and his family took such good care of me by letting me do what I needed to do. I had just about the right amount of socializing, joining them for their regular Sunday dinner with their friends. His home was so comfortable and welcoming, particularly when I saw a cute cushion with Tuan’s face with a print that said: “Stay Asian.” I loved it.

The AT is very white. So far, based on my not-so-scientific study by counting the number of thru-hiker-looking BIPOC and white people, roughly 5% of the thru-hiker-looking people are BIPOC at mile 471. I’m not surprised. I expected it to be very white. Why? The trail idea came in 1921 from white people (men to be exact) and was built in 1937 for “people,” but probably not BIPOC in mind, because it was long before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The majority of people who use the trail are white people, mainly white men. This speaks to the truth- who has access to the trail and who does not. Or who feels welcome and who doesn’t. Seeing Tuan’s cushion reminds me how important it is for me to just be out there, being one of the few, and stay Asian, at the same time.

What does it mean to stay Asian on the trail? I cannot speak for all Asian hikers. To me, it means to stay authentic- just be myself, either on or off trail, connected with my roots, practice my cultural traditions and practices without shame, keep kinship with nature, and eat Asian food as much as I can! When you don’t see people who look like you for an extended period, I often forget what I look like until someone reminds me that I am not one of them, asking this question: ” Where are you really from?” – yes, that question! When my Asian American friends answer that question by saying- Oakland, California, or Cleveland, Ohio, white folks don’t take it as an answer. They have to ask: No, where are you REALLY from? White folks- you have to believe the answer and let them disclose their heritage on their own term, if that’s what you want them to answer. Imagine how tiring it would be if you had to explain your origins every time you meet people, especially when you are just passing by. They are Americans, just like you are.

One of the ways that I stay Asian on the trail is to eat my own food and stay away from unhealthy, processed, soul-missing, cheap food that keeps me colonized. I committed to preparing my own food and sending all resupply boxes for both PCT and CDT, since resupply is much more difficult. On the AT, I am experimenting and taking a chance by buying resupply in town about half the amount. Johnson City was the first place of my experiment, and it went okay. I was able to find Thai rice noodles, Vietnamese Pho, Miso soup, rice, etc. I found Safe Catch Tuna, one of the corporate supporters of my journey of 3 years, and so far, my gut is pretty happy with my choices. As far as I know, I don’t know anybody who eats like me on the trail. This is my way to resist an unhealthy diet and stay Asian on the trail.

Another way that I stay Asian is perhaps my unique relationship with nature. In Japan, our way of living is informed by Buddhism and Shinto, which worship nature. You often see a shrine at a trailhead, and people pray and ask for permission at the shrine to enter the mountain. It is a place where you respect and treat nature as sacred. I hardly ever see trash left in the mountains in Japan. To this date, we can drink water straight out of the stream without treating it because the mountain tops are undeveloped. It’s left untouched for mountain gods.

There is even a guidebook called Hundred Remarkable Waters, listing sources of natural mineral water considered the best hundred. People travel to these places to taste the amazing, high-quality water. My relationship with nature has been developed by such a culture, although I don’t consider myself a Shinto worshiper, just like many Japanese people. In the Western world, water is considered an abiotic element. We believe water is beyond abiotic, holding sacred and spiritual elements. When I see a water source, I pray and ask for permission to receive the power that sustains our life and do what I can to protect it. I consider all living things like plants, insects, amphibians, birds, and animals, including human beings, as offspring of sacred water. I cannot help but be humbled in front of the water. When I see toilet paper left at the water source, people camping right next to the water, or the worst case, human feces near the stream, I am deeply disgusted, saddened, and sometimes angry. It’s a sign of disconnect. It’s a reflection of a colonial mindset that leads to actions to use it as our resources till it’s gone. I never feel lonely hiking alone. I feel lonely witnessing such a negative impact on the trail, marked with white blazes, white faces.

Speaking of water, one of my highlights of this section includes Laurel Fork Falls, so far the most powerful waterfalls I saw on the AT. When I arrived at the falls after the most gnarly steep downstairs, I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me! I thought I reached the climax of the southern 400 miles of beauty. I’ve been blessed with miraculous shades of green, a modest amount of rain, and remarkably tasty water. The waterfalls were enormous, enough to erase the presence of anything around them. Abundant water is a key to sustaining all lives on Appalachian Mountains. One of the reasons why I feel most alive and thriving on the AT out of any other trails is that I receive the grand energy from the water. The trail went along Laurel Fork and layers of ancient sedimentary rock that hold memories of our planet’s stories way beyond our time for a while. It was soothing and healing, watching water fold over obstacles like rocks, changing its shape like magic in constant motion. Sylvia Earl once mentioned why we call this planet Earth. We should have named it Water. I agree, knowing that I only exist so as many other living friends because of water. Water deserves respect, and I remembered Kifune Shrine in Kyoto that worships water in Japan. They have symbols to describe what water means to us: Power. Beauty. Respect. Fear. Serenity. Cleansing. Water does it all like nothing else on this planet. As I followed the fork, I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to be alive on the Earth. I’m so glad to be an earthling!

I left the fork and started climbing up to the ridge. When I made it up, I was surrounded by the sweet aroma. I looked around and saw flowers that reminded me of Jasmine. The scent was similar to it. What a sensory-stimulating morning I had! Beautiful waterfalls, mountain aromatherapy along the way, it cannot get better than this!- I thought in that moment.

The next morning, when I went outside my tent, I saw mysterious fog covering parts of the lake, wishing to see the entire view. On the AT, it’s difficult to get a clear view because of the trees, but I could still catch a beautiful sunrise.

In the afternoon, when I hit the first parking lot, there were five trail angels with picnic tables and chairs, and at the next parking lot, more trail angels! I learned while in Johnson City that the biggest AT festival of the year is happening in Damascus this weekend, and I would just so happen to be hiking through town! These trail angels were out there for their trail day, supporting hikers, being kind and sweet. They had fresh fruits and homemade energy bites. I thanked them, enjoyed the treats, and kept going.

This morning, I crossed the North Carolina/Virginia state line and continued hiking the last two miles to Damascus. I saw a group of trail runners and day hikers coming up on the trail. As they passed, some of them said to me, “We are here to celebrate you!” “Welcome!” “We are so glad to see you!” I was overwhelmed by such warm and kind greetings from everyone. Out of many runners and hikers, I saw the one and only Asian person. I smiled. We made eye contact, acknowledging our presence. In my mind, I said, “I see you. Stay Asian!”