A friend on the Appalachian Trail (AT) once said something to me that I still have not forgotten: “You can always find the positive in something if you look for it, and the same goes for the negative.” I have seen this in myself on and off the trail – whether I am physically or mentally drained, I can always find the excruciating minutia to complain about. However, if I shift my mindset I can easily become thankful for the most minute things around me.
Sometimes our worst days can be made exponentially better by the smallest deeds from strangers. On a long-distance hike the tiniest things from others are appreciated, such as fresh fruit or a ride into town, which demonstrates that humans can be compassionate beings. Nevertheless, we do not talk to strangers enough in our everyday lives to give them the chance to show us their humanity.
Day 13 on the Appalachian Trail:
Still sick. It feels like my temperature is over 100 degrees. It’s very frustrating, as I still can’t do the mileage I want. The ups are killing me the most. I have to stop to catch my breath every 20-40 steps, which is only a few more than I could do yesterday. Mentally it is very draining. Lots of trail magic today though! A guy gave me drink packets, a group from Florida gave us each a banana, a hiker gave me velcro for my shoes to hold my gaiters on, someone left fresh fruit right before the Newfound Gap parking lot, and an older couple gave us a ride into Gatlinburg!
Day 14 on the AT:
It took me literally 5 seconds of thumbing before an older man pulled off to get us. He said he didn’t get to give hitches to hikers very often and hadn’t been to the top of Newfound Gap in a while, so he was happy to do so. (We were happy too!) We held a great conversation the whole 30 minute ride, and found out that we have both lived in Ohio. When Machine and I got out of the truck I reached out my hand to say thank you, but instead the old man gave me a big hug and told me to take care of myself and my cold.
My brain keeps telling me I can’t do this and should go home. This was the first time it was louder than my usual positive self-talk. I’ve never hiked while being so sick before, and especially for so long, combined with a lack of checkpoints along the way today which made for a mentally challenging day. I told Machine to go on without me but he wouldn’t listen or leave. I got frustrated knowing I’m the reason he’s so slow, but he said he wouldn’t leave without me.
The connection forged on trail with humans and nature is a natural anti-depressant not only backed by science, but something that is plainly experienced along the way. There is an experience we all go through together on the trail that unites us, whether it is a stranger or someone we’ve hiked with for 1,700 miles. I talk about this “shared experience” quite often on trail, but we may have it with anyone going through something similar to our own experiences in life.
My mother was able to immediately connect to the other patients undergoing chemotherapy when she battled breast cancer. My fellow cohort of graduate students could vent to one another without judgement or disdain. My hiking partner, Machine, wouldn’t leave me, even though we had only been hiking together for a couple weeks. The rides to and from the trail made my day exponentially better. Fresh fruit on the trail is heaven in edible form.
People become intertwined when they share similar situations, whether large or small.
Thru-hikers can relate to each other so easily because they know that the next hiker just went through the same rain storm. The same steep climb up the mountain followed by the repetitive steep downhill (and then uphill again and again). The same longing for friends or family. So why don’t we seek out folks that have a shared experience with us more often?
We unknowingly underestimate the power our relationships may have on us until something occurs which forces us to recognize their profound effect on our lives. We may think we don’t need others for whatever the reason may be, but once we let them in we realize how much brighter our lives look from every angle.
