When I’ve told people about this hike, I’ve mostly gotten one of two responses. People are either really excited for me or are really confused. Why on earth would I want to hike for several months from Mexico to Canada?
That’s a great question. I have a few reasons.
I am a sucker for novelty. I get restless doing and seeing the same things everyday. The PCT will bring plenty of variety and challenges, and I’m so up for it.
The trail is beautiful. I’ll hike through the varied ecosystems of the West Coast. I can’t wait to explore the stunningly beautiful desert, mountains, and forest. I love taking pictures of plants and birds, and I’m going to see so many cool ones along the way.
I’ve wanted to hike the PCT for the past decade. In February of this year I lost three family members. Life is too short to wait to do the things you want to do. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
I want to take the time to explore my trajectory. I want to make sure that I am living by values and pursuing the life that I want. It’s so easy to get stuck on autopilot and go with the flow. It’s much more difficult to craft and live the life that you want.
This is not going to be an easy trip. I am sure that there will be days that I will struggle to keep going. I want to prove to myself that I have the capacity to do hard things.
I’ve been backpacking on shorter trips, but nothing like this. I hope to learn better skills from trial and error, and from other folks along the way. I have some confidence in my outdoor skills, but I could definitely benefit from learning more.
I want to acknowledge that I am very privileged to have the opportunity to thru-hike the PCT. Not many people are not able to take several months out of their lives to quit their jobs and go hiking in the wilderness.
You have to be a little bit of weirdo to choose to spend several months of your life walking from Mexico to Canada. I am so down to meet my tribe.
I think I’m too connected to my devices. I’m constantly connected. I spend 40 hours a week on my work computer. I’m always near my phone. I watch shows on TV or stream them from my computer. I will be have my phone and a few other items, but will be WAY less connected than my normal life. It will be nice to take a break, and I hope that I will be able to rely less on technology after the trail
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