Small introduction: who am I and why do I want to hike the PCT?

How can a 22 years old Italian girl, who recently graduated from university, desire to embark on such a journey?

I lost count on the amount of times I had to answer this question. This post is meant for all the skeptics, the incredulous peers, the confused parents, the older family members, for everyone that does not dare to start a trail. As I will try to explain it to you, there are reasons that not only convinced me to hike the PCT, but even make me dream about it. 

First of all, a bit of information about me. You probably expected it, but I love hiking. I spent most of my childhood in northern Italy, where opportunities to hike are not uncommon. I always felt home where the mountains are. Since I moved across several countries in my life, I sometimes wonder if there is a place in this world where I really belong to. Well, if there is one for me, it has to be somewhere where nature is close by, and hiking culture is thrilling. 

The easy answer on why I want to hike the PCT is that I love the outdoors. I have previously hiked other trails, I followed a training on Wilderness basics and more generally, I took advantage of every opportunity I had to go outside and do some backpacking. I recently completed Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites, I hiked a section of Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain, and I took a week trip to the Grand Canyon where I hiked all the way to the river Colorado. When I first heard about the PCT I thought it had to be on my bucket list. I am inspired by the diversity of the landscapes and the physical and mental challenge of the journey. It seems the adventure of a lifetime for a wilderness junkie like me. 

Furthermore, I would love to reconnect with the country that inspired my passion for hiking. My true love for the outdoors sparked about five years ago, when I had the opportunity to spend two years in New Mexico and took advantage of what the state had to offer. I was deeply fascinated by the vast, majestic landscape, the arid, red desert, the canyons, the high mountains and the starry sky. It was so different from what I have previously experienced back in Italy. I haven’t returned back to the United States since then. I believe that hiking the PCT will give me the opportunity to restore that connection and fall in love with the American landscape one more time. 

Another thing to know about me, it is that I am a 22 years old recent college graduate facing a period of transition, where I have to reflect on what could be the future steps for me. I could decide to continue with further studies, start on my career, I do not really know. I have a lot of questions in terms of careers and life choices I need to provide an answer to.The truth is that I need a project with a clear direction to provide for a temporary purpose in my existence in a quickly changing world where my life goals are still not well-defined. At the moment, I don’t have a clear goal in my life and I need a trail to offer it to me. I want to have a direction for the next few months in the hope of having some time for discovering my direction for the next few years. 

For the rest of my life I want to be that person that attempted; and hopefully accomplished, hiking the length of the United States. I like challenges and I believe I can do my very best in challenging times. I want to prove to myself that if I am able to do something this hard, there would be nothing in life for me that is unachievable. I want to enter the adult world knowing that I am empowered to do what I aim for if I bring commitment and resilience. Perhaps this is a very naive perspective on my future journey. But I am ready for the PCT to show me otherwise. 

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