You can learn a lot from long-distance hiking. One of the life lessons I took from my 1,800 km on the Pacific Crest Trail is HYOH – Hike Your Own Hike.
We’re always comparing ourselves to others. Today, presented with an endless stream of carefully curated social media feeds, it can more than ever seem like everybody else is living a better life.
That’s why it is important to live your life the way you want. On the trail, some travel ultralight, using their trekking poles to stretch a small tarp over their lightweight sleeping bag atop a thin foam sleeping pad. I travel with a real tent, a good air pad, and a warm sleeping bag. They move faster than I do, but I am more comfortable. Long-distance hikers all accept the HYOH mindset – the ultralighters are not judging me for my heavy pack, and I am not envious of their higher mileage.
Live your own life.