Dear Reader

Dear Reader,

Reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild was a fascinating book. I myself went on the Camino de Santiago last year, as a three day trip with a group of other exchange students. I went on the trip to have fun and get to know the other students, and to this day it is one of my fondest memories from living in Spain.

In the novel many of the people who were hiking the PCT, a similar trail in the West Coast of the United States, had more existential reasons. They were trying to find themselves or were avid hikers, ideas that were foreign to me. The idea then occurred to me to research as best as I could to find different reasons for why people decide to embark on the grueling task of a long distance hike. The results I found were so diverse, it amazed me. Some had similar reasons to Strayed and the hikers she met on the trail. Others had religious reasons such as many of the people who the Camino de Santiago.

Some of the most surprising reasons to me were the amount of people who were inspired by Strayed. The amount of women who became inclined to do the hike was astonishing, Strayed was one of very few solo women going on the hike because it is considered a risk for a woman to hike alone. But the amount of people who felt a connection to Strayed and her circumstances or even just for the love of the book decided to go on the hike was astonishing. Having gone on a hike like this myself, the most enjoyable part was the people I met on the hike not the actual activity. The exercise is a grueling foot suicide and extreme, non-stop workout.

Through writing my expository essay and multi-genre project I created a golden thread. The thread was the repeated line "disconnecting from the modern world." Because no matter what trail and what length, there is a disconnect. Many of the trails do not have service and I think that is honestly beneficial to the people on the trail. The trails allow modern day citizens to connect to the past. Life slows down and become a peaceful monotony only at the mercy of nature.

Sincerely,
Caroline Jevon

Journey to a New Life

Journey to a New Life

Cheryl Strayed's novel Wild and subsequent movie of the same title has brought a variety of hiking journeys to light. The Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) which was featured in her novel, the Appalachian trail in the eastern United States, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and the West Highland Way in Scotland are just a few of the numerous long distance hikes throughout the world. The origins of the PCT stem from Clinton Churchill Clarke, "[he] believed that the time in the wilderness provided 'a lasting curative and civilizing value' " (Strayed, 206). While the origins of the Camino de Santiago are based religiously. The pilgrimage is said to be "one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven" (Camino de Santiago). However, as times have changed, the reasons people go on long distance hikes have changed as well.

Cheryl meets several other hikers during her time on the PCT. Some  of the hikers she met were more outdoorsy and had "been planning this hike for years" (Strayed, 86). Some of them also so the hike as a "a life long dream for [us]" (Strayed, 107). Both of these hikers were of a ‘different breed’ than Strayed. Strayed felt more akin to a different type of hiker. The types who were not inclined to the wild lifestyle, who "despite all [their] confidence and ease, he had been through something" (Strayed, 109), introducing the other type of hiker. Cheryl herself embarked on her journey "in order to save myself" (Strayed, 5). A vague way to summarize her struggles leading up to the hike. Yet the fascinating thing that is exemplified in Strayed's novel is the diversity of people who hike. All the trails mean something different to the people on it "people ages 5 to 81 have completed the trail,​ among them singles, retired couples, families with kids, people with disabilities" (Marquardt). Each person with different goals and quests to achieve while on the trail.

Some people enjoy the freedom. There is another section of people who do not have particular ‘problems’ but enjoy disconnecting from the modern world. A woman who is hiking the PCT at the moment "To rely on my feet to get me to where I'm going, to be out in the wilderness with everything I need on my back, fresh air, quiet; it all sounds appealing" (Knepp). The simplicity of a life that is surrounded by wilderness. Others, like some of the men Strayed encountered, "hike purely for the love of the hike and simply existing out there" (Sally). Sally and her husband enjoyed the unity with nature in addition to their love of hiking. These are just a few examples of the diverse reasons people hike the PCT.

Since Strayed’s novel and subsequent movie, the PCT has had an increase in popularity. The book has inspired many women in particular to hike the trail and have found a deep connection with Strayed and her experiences. One woman “Linda Blaney, 53, a self-described ‘very burned out’ blackjack dealer” (Solomon), felt her immediate connection with Strayed upon reading the book. She saw the wonders that the trail did for Strayed and wondered if it could get herself out of the state she was in. Another woman admires Strayed, “ ‘She had the courage at 26 to do what I wish I had done, which was take care of herself, doing whatever she had to do,’ said Mrs. Sonnier, adding that in the past she had battled with alcohol and depression. ‘I went from Penny the kid to Penny the mother of two. I never got to live as Penny the individual’”(Solomon). To Penny, Strayed was an inspiration, a woman she lived vicariously through while reading her book, but also the woman who helped her realize how she wants to live her life.  Other women fell in love with the book as entertainment. Those women decided to hike for the love of the book “Ms. Seré  is not a particularly lost person, and ‘not at all’ outdoorsy… But when she picked up Ms. Strayed’s book in the summer of 2012, she loved it” (Solomon). The group of people who Strayed has appealed to through her novel has caused a notable spike in travelers doing day hikes, short-term, and long-term hikes on the PCT. A trend that was also observed after Emilio Estevez’s movie The Way about the Camino de Santiago.

People still hike the Camino de Santiago centuries after it was first hiked. Long distance hiking has been around forever, while it was often originated through migrations of people due to the elements and food it has become a recreational practice in the past century or so. Cheryl Strayed’s Wild just begins to delve into the different people who hike long distance trails.  The trails are symbolic to many of their hikers as they form a bond between each other. They become a part of one another’s history. Wild details this connection between the personified trail and Strayed. Other hikers see the same connection echoing in their personal lives that builds a connection between all long distance hikers, no matter their reason for beginning the trail.

Works Cited Page

"History of the Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage in Spain." Camino De Santiago. Web. 12 May 2015.

Knepp, Melinda. "Liz and Melinda's Excellent Adventure!" : Why the PCT? 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Marquardt, Katy. "How to Prepare Physically and Mentally for a Long Distance Hike." US News 25 Mar. 2015, Health sec. Web. 11 May 2015. .  

Sally & Nikita. "Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike 2015 | Travel Blog." Overland Undersea. 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Solomon, Christopher. "The Call of the ‘Wild’ on the Pacific Crest Trail." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.

Te Deseo un Buen Camino Peregrino

Te Deseo un Buen Camino Peregrino (I wish you a good walk, pilgrim)

This is an original photograph, I took it last year upon finishing a 120 km leg of the Camino from the border of Portugal to Santiago de Compostela. The photo shows the end of the Camino de Santiago, the entrance back into society. This is the cathedral that has been the end site of the pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. Everyday the cathedral holds mass, always a special portion of it is dedicated to the pilgrims and all the pews are full. The shell with the cross on it, is the symbol that the pilgrims hung from their backpacks. To many pilgrims this was the end of a journey that was up to 620 miles or even longer. Now the majority of the hikers do not hike it as a religious pilgrimage, but as a way to disconnect from the modern world. This allows them to relax and focus on a specific issue or complete a bucket list item.

Bloggers Plan to Speed Hike the West Highland Way

Bloggers Plan to Speed Hike the West Highland Way

May 15, 2015- Today fitness bloggers, John Smith and Emma Smith, began on their week long journey on the West Highland Way. The two plan to document their journey on their fitness blog, as they continue their health journey they started earlier this year to lose 100 lbs. The West Highland Way is a trail through Scotland that measures 96 miles in length. They plan to finish the trail in five days, “we keep trying to find new challenges to conquer” said John Smith. With goals to average roughly 20 miles in a day, his wife Emma said “anything that diversifies our exercise routine.” The couple has an active following on their blog. Readers enjoy the fitness expertise of John, a personal trainer, and literary genius of Emma, an English major. This trip represents a goal for the young couple “we’re going to try our bests to enjoy disconnecting from our modern world.” You can follow their trip on their blog johnandemma.blogspot.com.

Letters from the Path

Letters from the Path

Dear Mom,

Well it’s been about a month now since you dropped me off at Chattahoochee National Forest in North Georgia. I’ve gotten pretty far, I’m already near the Virginia-Tennessee border in an area called Shady Valley. I’m averaging around twenty miles a day! Thanks for sending me that extra twenty dollar bill in the last package, I severely underestimated how much this would cost.

I miss you a lot, it’s been hard, but I needed to be alone. It’s been really hard since everything fell apart. Losing my job and John leaving me was like having a rug pulled out from under me. Everything I saw back home in Oklahoma just reminded me of him or my inability to support myself. I really appreciate Dad and you letting me move back in, but it made me feel like a failure as I moved back into my parents house at thirty.

I needed to go on this trip to take control of my life. This was something that I could manage and overcome. The only other one manipulating my time was mother nature, just as she always has. I have a newfound confidence in myself, by climbing the literal mountains, looking down, and thinking wow I conquered that is amazing. Being on this trip has allowed me to enjoy disconnecting from our modern world.

This is good for me I promise. I have met so many amazing people who have opened my eyes to the world. I really don’t have it that bad. It’s just a phase and I’ll grow out of it, the Appalachian Trail is helping me do that.

Love,

Anna

A Hikers Guide to the Pacific Coast Trail

A Hikers Guide to the Pacific Coast Trail

Interview of Joe Johnson

What trail are you hiking?

I decided to hike the Pacific Coast Trail through Northern California and up through Oregon and Washington until the Canadian border.

Why did you decide to embark on this?

I embarked on this journey to disconnect from the world. I just needed a break from modern technology and it has been such a relief to be disconnected and connect with the nature and refocus myself.

What have been the most difficult part so far?

The physical part has been by far the most difficult. Hiking all day with minimal food and rationing your water takes a toll on your body. The weight you carry on your back is also a muscular strain because even though you’re only supposed to take 10% your body weight, it is hard to limit yourself especially when you are on your own.

What has been a pleasant surprise on the trail?

The sheer beauty of the nature on the trail. Those moments when you are going to bed and under the stars with no light pollution to drown them out, all the animals making noises in the forest, it’s a phenomenal experience.

How did you prepare?

I bought all the gear and supplies, most of which it turns out I don’t really need and is just extra weight. I also started doing day hikes nearby so that I could get accustomed to hiking and break in the boots. The most helpful though was reading the guide book and blogs of others who have gone on the hike and are considered “hike experts” in my opinion.

What advice would you give to someone going on the trail?

No matter how much practice you get it will never prepare you for the real grueling task of the hiking. I would also advise them to be very sparse with the packing and not worry too much about the hypothetical situations in which you need each item. Most importantly, enjoy disconnecting from our modern world.

The Journey

Cheryl Strayed's novel Wild and subsequent movie of the same title has brought a variety of hiking journeys to light. The Pacific Coast Trail which was featured in her novel, the Appalachian trail in the eastern United States, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and the West Highland Way in Scotland are just a few of the numerous long distance hikes throughout the world. The origins of the PCT stem from Clinton Churchill Clarke, "[he] believed that the time in the wilderness provided 'a lasting curative and civilizing value' " (Strayed, 206). While the origins of the Camino de Santiago are based religiously. The pilgrimage is said to be "one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven" (Camino de Santiago). However, as times have changed the reasons people go on long distance hikes have changed as well.

Cheryl meets several other hikers during her time on the PCT. Some outdoorsy hikers who had "been planning this hike for years" (Strayed, 86) or "a life long dream for [us]" (Strayed, 107). Strayed felt more akin to a different type of hiker. The types who were not inclined to the wild lifestyle, who "despite all [their] confidence and ease, he had been through something" (Strayed, 109), introducing the other type of hiker. Cheryl herself embarked on her journey "in order to save myself" (Strayed, 5). A vague way to summarize her struggles leading up to the hike. Yet the fascinating thing that is exemplified in Strayed's novel is the diversity of people who hike. All the trails mean something different to the people on it "people ages 5 to 81 have completed the trail,​ among them singles, retired couples, families with kids, people with disabilities" (Marquardt). Each of them with different goals and quests to achieve while on the trail.

Some people enjoy the freedom of the idea. A woman who is hiking the PCT at the moment "To rely on my feet to get me to where I'm going, to be out in the wilderness with everything I need on my back, fresh air, quiet; it all sounds appealing" (Knepp). The simplicity of a life that is surrounded by wilderness. Others like some of the men Strayed encountered "hike purely for the love of the hike and simply existing out there" (Sally). Though Sally also has an existential element as a contributing factor by becoming one with nature. 

This is a preview into what could be my expository essay. 

Bibliography:

"History of the Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage in Spain." Camino De Santiago. Web. 12 May 2015.

Knepp, Melinda. "Liz and Melinda's Excellent Adventure!" : Why the PCT? 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Marquardt, Katy. "How to Prepare Physically and Mentally for a Long Distance Hike." US News 25 Mar. 2015, Health sec. Web. 11 May 2015. .  

Sally & Nikita. "Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike 2015 | Travel Blog." Overland Undersea. 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.