Walking Toward Peace by Cindy Ross

Author:Cindy Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781680513042
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

IF TRAVIS HIKED THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL FOR ZACH, HE HIKED THE PACIFIC Crest Trail in 2016 as a gift to himself, celebrating his last year in his twenties. Zach had planned to hike the PCT after the AT. While on that trek, Travis had another epiphany. He could no longer live his life asking himself, “What would Zach do?” At twenty-nine, he was older than the twenty-four-year-old Zach had been when he died. If Zach were here, Travis knew, he would certainly have made changes as a result of his own personal growth. Travis himself should be growing as well, while keeping Zach’s memory close. He thru-hiked the PCT with a different mindset and mission than he’d had on the AT. This time, he wanted to learn more about himself, practice forward-thinking, further his own healing, and take control of his life.

Travis approached the trail with full freedom and open-mindedness. He did not plan to get involved romantically, but on the PCT in Southern California he met Kaya, another thru-hiker. “Kaya is so sweet,” he said. “She helped me set new goals: become a kinder person, and be as honest as I can. I used to be a real shitty person when it came to women and my romantic relationships. It’s not something I’m proud of. Now, when I behave poorly, Kaya immediately corrects me and I reply, ‘Roger that,’ and I do my best to change. Kaya is my sounding board. If I’m in the gutter or going off the rails, she lets me know.” Travis seemed to deal with all the death, loss, and guilt connected to the wars by having limited, unhealthy relationships with women, where he felt in control. He might say he was more likely to focus on his feelings, wants, and needs. Meeting Kaya taught him healthier ways of interacting intimately that incorporated the ‘brotherhood’ behaviors from the military. When you have each other’s backs, you are not focused on your own wants and needs. You are making loving sacrifices for the greater good of your beloved, be they your military buddies or your life partner.

Travis learned peacetime living skills on the trail. In a war zone, you have to quickly learn to overlook things that will never represent danger, and instead focus on potentially dangerous things. On the trail, he learned to truly see the beauty in flowers, cloud formations, and faraway vistas. He learned to focus on wonder and creativity. While that type of focus would have gotten him and/or his men killed in a war zone, he learned to be present in the immediate moment in nature, to use all of his senses and to experience the sensations of calm, awe, and innocence.

Travis and Kaya made the decision to spend their winters in exotic locations, working as dive instructors and managing dive shops. This winter lifestyle provides them with peace and meditative time in the beautiful underwater world, so it is a perfect mix. Although the dive experience is short-lived, only an hour or so, compared with a months-long thru-hike, its healing benefits are huge.

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