How Hiking the Appalachian Trail inspired this Boulderite to become a Nature-Based Therapist
And Six Unexpected Areas of Growth in the Appalachian Outdoors
In 2009, when the Appalachian Trail was 2,178 miles in its entirety, I thru-hiked the trail, from Georgia to Maine. I packed up my life in Boulder, quit my job, and was ready for a life-altering endeavor. Although I had never spent a single night backpacking before, didn’t know how to work my stove, and didn’t even pack my gear one time before starting, somehow I managed to figure it out. You can probably imagine, I wanted to quit after the first night. To say I was ill prepared was an understatement.
During my six months and twenty-one days on the trail (yep, I’m slow), I was met with a multitude of challenges; most of my struggles were mental and emotional in nature.
In reflecting on the experience of hiking the AT and meeting this challenge, I have distilled down six character traits that I was “called to the step into.” What do I mean by this? In life, when we are presented with challenges, instead of asking, “Why me?” We can ask, “What is this life circumstance asking me to step into it?” “What parts of myself do I need to bring forward to meet this challenge?”
Whether the challenges you are facing are chosen challenges or unexpected life circumstances, it’s possible that you can identify with some of the qualities that I needed to delve into, in order to meet this highly physical, mental, and emotional experience in the great outdoors. As a therapist, this is why I love working in an outdoor setting; we have the opportunity to experience our own strengths and innate abilities to persevere and overcome adversity. Here’s what I found inside myself:
1. Adaptability
Learning how to be adaptable is the one significant takeaways of hiking the AT. This experience called for complete and utter adaptability, as each day presented it’s own set of unknowns to navigate (sleeping location, accessibility to water, weather, gear function, etc.) I learned to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
2. Peacefulness
How does one find peace when hiking twenty miles a day? Not only is it possible, it happened to me! Shockingly, and little did I know, that I had never experienced peace before hiking the trail. I was completely unaware that I was struggling with mental health issues (intense anxiety and symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder) until I experienced relief (which I found on the trail.)
While hiking the AT, my nervous system began to relax and unwind, my mood regulated, I began to sleep well, and through immersing myself in nature, I began to connect with myself and feel grounded in ways that I had never felt before.
Having experienced deep and profound shifts that occurred through communing with nature, lead me to a transformative knowing of peace and inner stillness and inspired my desire to help others have similar experiences thus becoming a nature-based therapist. Connecting with nature is like a miracle drug.
3. Humility
Being at the whim of the natural world for six months, was entirely humbling and sometimes downright scary. The immersive experience shedded light on the magnitude and power of Mother Nature, especially in the form of the weather systems we experienced. Along with humility, I developed a deep reverence and sense of awe for the interconnectedness of the natural world.
4. Gratitude
In shedding the comforts of home, I found tremendous gratitude for the things I had once taken for granted. After hiking 27 days in the rain and putting on wet clothes, day in and out, I vowed never to complain about being in the rain again. Purposefully going without is a great practice in appreciation.
5. Grit
Before starting the trail, my father told me that only 15% of people who start will finish and that the number one challenge I would face would be boredom. This helped me prepare my mindset, that I needed to be in the top 15%. I anticipated I might be bored (which I was) and that boredom would not be a reason to quit. Truly, there were only one day I wanted to call it, and that was the first day on the trail. After that, I knew that the only way out is through so I kept walking.
6. Resilience
I was scared as hell when I started. Having never backpacked before, knowing the length of the trail and the commitment needed to complete this hike, my motto was, “I’m just going to figure it out as I go.” When I am faced with adversity or think about taking on something that scares me, I remember the Appalachian Trail and the gift I gave myself in choosing this challenge: If I could do that, then I can do anything.
The beauty of challenge and discomfort is that we find parts of ourselves that have always been there. We get experience our own vast capacity to overcome limitations, whether they are mental, emotional or physical. Ultimately, these experiences of perseverance compound upon each other, leading us to have a deeper confidence and belief in ourselves. So go, and get out of your comfort zone today, you may be surprised at what you find!