Wild By Cheryl Strayed
Wild is the self-told story of Cheryl Strayed, who after experiencing her mother's death went through a period of time where her grief felt unescapable. Her siblings and her were no longer close, her stepdad had drifted away, and there seemed to be no real purpose left in her life. But, after hearing about the Pacific Crest Trail, Strayed felt a glimmer of hope. To her it was, "A world I thought would both make me into the woman I knew I could become and turn me back into the girl I'd once been". So, Strayed sold all of her possessions, bought supplies, and left for a 100 day journey for a summer on the PCT. Starting out, Strayed dealt with many physical pains and regretted her decision but eventually she began to appreciate the trail in new ways. She learned perseverance, forgot about her troubles, and drew strength from herself that only the raw experience of surviving in the wild could draw out of her.
Cheryl Strayed takes the idea that nature can heal emotional scars and proves it to be true in her journey to make peace with her mother's death. Strayed wasn't benefitting from anything civilization had to offer her so she turned to a place she knew could bring her to her best potential: the wild. This book praises the wild's ability to demand strength, provide an escape, and expose your true self. In the weeks Strayed spent on the trail, she was able to learn the most valuable lessons of her life and come to terms with what really matters. She says, "But hiking the PCT was hard in a different way. In a way that made the other hardest things the tiniest bit less hard". Battling the simple hardships of nature gives someone perspective in their life. They are humbled by the power of the wild and understand that their problems may not be quite so daunting after all.
While Strayed only spent a summer roughing it in the great outdoors, others, like Richard Proenneke have spent years of their lives immersed in the wild's harsh conditions and irreplaceable experiences. Proenneke's personal journals from his time spent in the Alaskan wilderness are collected in the following book, One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith.
Cheryl Strayed takes the idea that nature can heal emotional scars and proves it to be true in her journey to make peace with her mother's death. Strayed wasn't benefitting from anything civilization had to offer her so she turned to a place she knew could bring her to her best potential: the wild. This book praises the wild's ability to demand strength, provide an escape, and expose your true self. In the weeks Strayed spent on the trail, she was able to learn the most valuable lessons of her life and come to terms with what really matters. She says, "But hiking the PCT was hard in a different way. In a way that made the other hardest things the tiniest bit less hard". Battling the simple hardships of nature gives someone perspective in their life. They are humbled by the power of the wild and understand that their problems may not be quite so daunting after all.
While Strayed only spent a summer roughing it in the great outdoors, others, like Richard Proenneke have spent years of their lives immersed in the wild's harsh conditions and irreplaceable experiences. Proenneke's personal journals from his time spent in the Alaskan wilderness are collected in the following book, One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith.