Now that finals crunch time has officially begun, I know that most of us are too busy to sit down to real meals, let alone spend time reading through all of this week’s wonderful additions to Her Campus Tulane. But, study breaks are always necessary, so I’ll keep this post short, sweet and to the point so you can get your adventure fill for the week and be on your (hopefully slightly more adventurous) way.
I recently read the book “Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail” by Jennifer Pharr Davis. It details Jennifer’s experience completing a 2,175-mile south to north thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a scenic and treacherous trail that runs from Georgia to Maine. She graduated college in December and set off in March to test her stamina, hiking skills and determination. Along the way, she experienced blizzards, vicious swarms of mosquitoes, exhilarating summits, and the friendly help of strangers, a phenomenon called “Trail Magic” by those in the know.
Jennifer began the trail knowing little about the world or her future, but acknowledging that she would never figure either out if she did not entertain the crazy notion of hiking the AT. In this respect, Jennifer is pretty similar to most of us—trying to figure out what kind of person we want to be, what kinds of stories we want to be able to tell our grandkids, and where our place is in the world. By reading her book and sharing in her escapades on the AT, you can join Jennifer on her journey, and maybe even glean some insight as to where you want yours to lead!
Best of luck with finals and if Facebook study breaks just aren’t doing it for you anymore, check out Jennifer’s website and blog, or check out “Becoming Odyssa”!