CHERYL STRAYED INSPIRED ME TO LOOK CLOSER AT THE WILDERNESS
I was soaked when I started reading this memoir ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed. A journey of a twenty six years old girl hiking the pacific Crest Trail all by herself. The length of Pacific Crest Trail is approximately 4000 km and takes around five months to finish it.
Being born in the city, life of the woods had always been far flung from me. I was blown away by few facts which might not seem a big of a deal to the other reader of this article.
Hikers uses the world’s loudest whistles to signal an emergency in the dense woods.
Drinking water is not handy, you got to earn it. It demands carrying your own water purifier and Iodine pills.
Imagine living outdoors and sleeping on the ground in a tent each night. Imagine walking alone through the wilderness all day. Imagine going days without seeing any other human. Imagine trees, birds and the wilderness being the only companions. Imagine not waking up to the modern pendulum (clock) but to the sun melting into different colours in the sky. Imagine being the only girl in the woods.
Journey of Cheryl hiking the PCT while solely relying on the guidebook which she is carrying with herself, saving her from the rattlesnakes, exploring the new terrains all alone, the backpacker way. Gosh darn — that is exciting, dangerous, inspiring, exhausting and nerve wrecking.
When people did something like this, my intense curiosity always asked them. Why? Why do you hike? After my perusal of the book ‘wild’, I am never going to ask why! I am glad I got my answers.
Exactly how I would love when people would not ask me. Why do I read ? How naturally I connect with people who read. I think I am going to naturally connect with people who hike. I just know now what it means.
Cheryl’s memoir had given me a different taste. Whatever she needed to survive could be carried on her back ! That’s incredible.
