Sometimes you have to get lost before you can get found. That’s exactly what author Cheryl Strayed did when she decided to hike 1100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone, at the tender age of 26. I recently read wild (http://goo.gl/bQWivV), Strayed’s biography in which she shares her experience, not only of hiking the trail, but of finding herself along the way.
wild offers a captivating account of one woman's experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. (Click the image for a free sample of the book.)
Whether you’re 25 or 75, chances are you’ve had a moment in your life when you just felt lost. School, family, jobs, relationships, faith, purpose — all of these can cause anxiety, feelings uncertainty…feelings of being lost.
In wild Strayed shares her tragedies, namely the death of her mother and the demise of her marriage, in candid detail, and in doing so makes you cheer for every step she takes toward her goal of healing her wounds and finding her true self.
During our travels, I typically read “fluffy” fiction that provides entertainment by the campfire, but occasionally I go for more serious books that I think I may relate to. While I haven’t gone through the same loss as Strayed, I felt a kinship to her and her desire to become a better version of herself.
Having spent a great deal of time in backcountry locales, I was fascinated by her ability to adapt to the harsh realities of her journey: carrying everything she would need (and a few things she didn’t) on her back for three months, with only a few stops to resupply along the way.
Overall, I thought wild was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to dig a little deeper. I laughed, I cringed, I cheered, and I cried.
wild left me thinking of a wonderful quote from Theodore Roosevelt, and something we all need to be reminded: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Book review by Kristy Michael.