Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis

Amazon has been recommending hiking books for me, ever since I ordered Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It's an easy sell, since I love hiking and I enjoy reading about it, too, especially during our Bismarck sojourn where the closest thing to a hike is a hilly arboretum.

This one looked like a winner after I read the reviews. And it is! I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. Davis is a young woman, trying to figure out her next step after graduating from college, and feels called to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. In some ways it's similar to Wild, in that it's the story of a solo woman hiker who learns a lot about herself in a thru-hike. Both women are incredibly open about their fears and their fearful situations, and both learn to keep hiking despite pain and cold and all kinds of obstacles. This book, though, is written by a less-troubled individual. She has great family support and it sounds like she always had, and it shows in her approach to the challenges. She has more confidence and more support along the trail. Yet, she has plenty to learn and does.

One thing I really appreciated about this story is how she gains confidence in herself and in her ability to be more open about her faith. She also does a good job of describing the people she meets and how they interact. She is a good example of someone who obviously and simply lives her Christian faith without apology or preaching, either in her life on the trail or in her writing. Her goodness just shines through and is obviously noticed and appreciated by others on the trail. She is able to convey this humbly and simply.

I also enjoyed the way she describes the scenery and it made me want to visit the White Mountains, the Smoky Mountains, and other beautiful places along the Appalachian Trail. I'd like to section hike the parts she describes someday...Not sure how or when, but I'm fascinated by how different it sounds from all of my Black Hills and Napa Valley hiking. I am going to keep this book around and read it again when I'm ready to plan a trip. It's full of appreciation for nature, other people, and the benefits of taking on a big physical challenge.

I'm thinking about ordering another copy to have on hand as a grad gift...I think even someone who doesn't hike would be able to appreciate the lessons learned, and maybe it would inspire someone to take on a big challenge.

Here are some of my favorite parts:

(page 287), when the end is in sight (after 2000 plus miles of hiking)

"Totally submerged, with my hair floating toward the surface and my limbs weightless around me, I embraced the unencumbered sensation of being surrounded by water. Rising back to the surface, I looked at my half-white, half-brown body beneath the water. I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place since Georgia. I never knew that I could be this fit."

"I looked up into the blue sky toward Katahdin. It was like a dream, too far away to touch but too close to be a mirage. I dipped down below the surface and came back up, but the mountain was still there. I laughed and looked up to the sky. I had done it."

(page 291) - After reaching the summit of Mt. Katahdin at the end of the trail, Davis describes her feelings:

"When the photo shoot was over, we turned around and started to hike back down the mountain. I don't want to say that climbing Katahdin was a letdown, because it wasn't. But I thought I was going to have an epiphany once I reached the top. I thought I would feel different at the brown sign marking the mountain summit.
But when I was there, I was just happy. "