Though I finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed more than a week ago, I’m still mesmerized by the courage and determination it took for her to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all alone. But what has really stuck with me is the process of finding yourself through solitude and physical exertion. Now granted, I could never imagine myself hiking through the forest alone or sleeping in a nylon tent, but something inside of me longs for the type of introspection and self-discovery that only comes from a deep connection with nature.

That’s probably why I’ve taken to hiking on local trails by my house.

There is solitude underthe green canopy of leaves. The whistles of cardinals draw my thoughts away from myself. I marvel at the variation of colors on tree barks and fragrance of spring in the air. I thank God for creation.

But I am never completely disconnected from the world. There is always the faint roar of traffic in the distance. It is as if I am still tethered to my day-to-day life. That’s when I think of Cheryl Strayed in forest on the Pacific Crest Trail. I wonder what it would be like to only hear the thud of my feet against the trail and the rustle of nature. I imagine my mind unfolding with understanding and creativity. But a scamper a few feet away from the trail frightens me. A deeper connection with nature seems unlikely.

When Cheryl Strayed embarked on her journey to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, it was not without fear. But she made a decision not to let it control her. What she wrote inspired me to look at fear differently:

I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.

I don’t have to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to find myself as a writer. Which is a good thing, since it is unlikely I will ever hike anything more serious than local, well traveled trails.  But I do have to be willing to a venture into those places in my consciousness that holds the answers to who I am and why I do what I do.

Wild about coming face to face with yourself. It’s about taking yourself to that place that challenges you and awakens you to who you are underneath the convention of your day-to-day life.

As writers and artist, we have to create space in our lives for introspection and self-discovery. Maybe that means taking a hike. Or long bike ride. Or cutting the grass. The physical exertion and solitude remove outside distractions, so we can connect with ourselves and enter the true wilderness – our minds.

If you haven’t read Wild, I highly recommend picking up a copy.