In Part 2, the real story of why Andrea was primed for that stranger's suggestion in Vermont comes into full focus: years of political reporting that included mass shooting coverage and a growing inability to trust what people told her; a divorce after 13 years that left her grieving a version of the future and staring at a blank canvas she was too afraid to paint; and the accumulated weight of feeling like she was the center of a universe that would stop spinning if she stopped working. She just needed permission. A stranger on a trail gave her permission she actually needed to give herself. This half also covers the job that came after the AT (senior cruise editor for Travel Weekly, 36 trips in three years, five continents, Antarctica) and what made her leave that dream job to hike the PCT. It covers what she's writing, where she is in the process, and the two working titles for the book. And it covers what happened the day after she finished the AT [January 6th, 2021] and why the story doesn't end at the finish line.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — it dropped 10 minutes ago.

Show Notes

About the Guest


Andrea "Watergirl" Zelinski is a writer, former political reporter, and two-trail thru-hiker based in North Carolina. She covered the Texas State Legislature for the Houston Chronicle and Austin-based outlets before hiking the Appalachian Trail during the COVID pandemic in 2020. The AT led her to abandon political journalism, pivot to travel writing as senior cruise editor for Travel Weekly — a job that took her on 36 trips across five continents in three years, including Antarctica — and then to leave that job too, in 2025, to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. She is currently working on a memoir about the experience. Trail name: Watergirl. Named by a man called Medicine Man in Georgia after she embarrassed herself at a water source. They have been friends ever since.

What's Covered in Part 2


Why She Was Primed — The Professional Side

Why She Was Primed — The Personal Side


The Cruise Editor — 36 Trips, Five Continents


Why She Left the Dream Job


Journaling on Trail


The Book — Don't Rush Me


Coming Home to January 6th


Tramily Versus Solo


Hiking Hacks — Turmeric and Psyllium Husk


Off the Beaten Path — The Name of the Stars


Pay It Forward — Local Trail Maintenance


CDT Plans


Links & Resources



  • Watergirl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresofwatergirl

  • The Name of the Stars: A Life in the Wilds — Pete Fromm. Watergirl's Off the Beaten Path recommendation — a memoir about nature, fatherhood, and what happens as we age.

  • Blaze Physio —: https://www.blazephysio.com

  • Appalachian Trail Conservancy — www.appalachiantrail.org — Pay It Forward: volunteer for local trail maintenance.

  • Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.org


Connect with Hiker Trash Radio



  • Email: mailto:hikertashradio@gmail.com

  • Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.


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