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Stop Normalizing The “Grind” and Normalize Walking Outside for 5 Months
Does anyone know what they’re doing with their life?
I graduated college in June of 2023, and like most new grads I started a full-time job almost immediately. Soon enough, I found myself only seeing my friends, catching up on chores or sleep, or engaging in activities I enjoyed on the weekends after enduring a long and mentally draining 40-hour week. I couldn’t believe that I was expected to live like this for the next 40+ years until I retired. It felt like I was a backseat driver of my own life, watching it go by as I worked a job that I was not particularly passionate about. It left me wondering if something was fundamentally wrong with me because I had such a hard time adjusting to the 9-5 life. I knew something had to change.
Maybe hiking the PCT will fix all my problems?
As a Washington native, you hear stories of PCT thru-hikers coming into towns like Leavenworth or Stehekin. I remember watching Wild as a pre-teen, and being in awe that people do things like this. Throughout college, as I started to get more into hiking and backpacking, I found myself thinking about the PCT. I thought about how surely “one day I would hike it” but “one day” always seemed so far off. It wasn’t until I graduated college and started working that I realized I needed to get out sooner rather than later. I need time to figure out who I want to be, and what I want to do without anyone else’s expectations. There’s no time like the present to quit your job, leave behind all your friends and family, and walk in the woods for a while!
Me with all the things I plan on bringing to start the PCT!
Seriously though, I’m hiking the PCT in May 2024.
I’m starting my journey on the PCT in early May. I’m stoked to get out on the trail and see what’s in store for me. The preparation has already taught me so much. As I mull over what I should pack and what my resupply strategy is, I’m consistently reminded that no matter how much I try to plan, the plan almost always changes. Being a perpetual over-thinker and coming to terms with the reality that I can’t have every little detail of my hike mapped out has been difficult, yet rewarding. I can’t wait to figure it out as I go, to meet new people, to see some beautiful sights, and hopefully spend some time pondering what I’m going to do with my life when I return. See you all out there!
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Comments 4
lovely read! can’t wait to keep up with your adventures!
may the 4th be with you, enjoy the journey. When I was your age I went on multiple long distance bicycle tours including transcontinental. I am better for it. There is a special joy in fully investing yourself in the present without concerns for the past or the future.
Hi there. You will eventually find or create work you can be passionate about. No one stays at the same job for 40 years (unless they’re very passionate about it!), and there is a huge variety of jobs, schedules, seasonal, 4 day, gig, you name it. You are just beginning to know yourself and what will fulfill you while sustaining you. The important thing is that you are giving yourself space to explore. It is a privilege known only to a few; I’m happy to see you’re taking advantage of it. HAPPY TRAILS! Take good care of yourself. Take good care of others. Take lots of pictures! ♥️
Where there’s a will, there’s a way… Said someone who is smarter than me. Have fun and be safe on the trail! Work can wait.