‘I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid.’ These are the words from Cheryl Strayed (Reece Witherspoon in the film version) as she sets out alone at the start of what will be a 1000 mile solo hike in California. There is no-one around. No one. This was back in the mid 90’s, so a time when there was no internet, no skyping loved ones, no blogging her journey and no way of contacting people if she got into danger. In other words she was one bad-ass brave lady!
Wild: Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, follows her journey as a grief stricken, lost young woman who decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). A huge feat in itself, ignoring the fact that Strayed had never hiked before and had no idea of what would lie in store for her. But she knew with sheer determination that she would walk herself back to the person she once was.
There are Pinterest-able quotes and motivational wooden signs begging to be made on nearly every page of the book. It is not just your average travel memoir. Strayed opens up about deep personal experiences such as grief, death, drug addiction and abuse. And even though the book examines these heavy subjects, I felt I could really identify with her.
That need inside you when everything is so blurry and off track that you have to claw back some control over your life. Cheryl did it by hiking. I did it by travelling. I can’t be the only one to say that I saw myself through her words. Her experiences of facing her fears, finding out who she was starting from rock bottom, setting her mind to something and not backing out when it got tough, all rang true for me.
When I arrived in Nepal I knew I wanted/needed to hike the Himalayas, as this was something I could never have imagined accomplishing before. At first I seriously struggled. But doing something so simple as walking, putting one foot in front of the other, knowing every step was a step closer really helped me. It was on this hike that I truly understood the raw amazing power of nature, of disconnecting with the world and just walking in a jawdroppingly beautiful setting.
In one scene Cheryl packs her enormous backpack, nicknamed ‘Monster’ for its sheer size, and struggles to get the bloody thing on as it is SO heavy. She wriggles on the floor, kicking her weight up ladybird style, to stand. I remember arriving in Koh Tao rushing to get my backpack that had been casually chucked on the dock, contorting my limbs to get it on as quick as I could with a crowd of eagerly waiting tourists watching and laughing. For Cheryl, as the days went by and her miles added up she got stronger, dumped or burned things from her pack and literally left a trail of emotional and physical baggage behind her.
It is through this journey that she faces her fears, learns forgiveness, understands her self-worth and finds inner peace. If you ask me, backpacking and travel can allow you to meet ALL of these too.
‘Don’t you get lonely?’
‘Honestly? I was lonelier in my real life than I am out here.’
You may have gathered I have a serious girl crush on Ms Strayed. She is a great example of how setting your mind to something, no matter how crazy it may seem, can be accomplished through sheer grit and determination. Knowing that moving forward is taking you further away from your past problems.
‘Uncertain as I was as I pushed forward, I felt right in my pushing, as if the effort in itself meant something.’
If you haven’t read the book or seen the film (do it in that order so you don’t miss out on quite a few cut scenes) then stop reading this post and go check it out. Just don’t blame me if you are rushing out to buy a backpack and get out there!
