First off, I will say if you hate being dirty at all, can’t stand bugs of any kind, or hate the outdoors, backpacking is not for you. However, if you can go a few days without a proper shower, can put up with bug spray, and love being outside, this is something you should try at least once in your life!

I am by no means an experienced backpacker, but I grew up hiking with friends and family. My first real backpacking trip was a little under 18 miles, and I fell in love. The knowledge that I can strap a 15-40-pound pack on and just start walking is one of the most empowering things ever. I know I can survive, albeit with the help of some equipment, out in the middle of nowhere with just what I have in a backpack is valuable knowledge.

After the first day, I was more than a little sore due to the weight of the pack and the strain of walking more than usual, but after a few more days you start to feel more energetic and it’s easier to pick up the pack (you also start to lose some of the weight because you’re eating the food you packed).

One of my favorite memories from my last trip was when my group stopped in town for a real meal. My family can attest, I am not someone who has a big appetite. I’m one of the pickiest eaters you will come across, but the three women I went with and I stopped at the Root-beer Saloon in Southern Illinois, and I was starving. According to my Fitbit, I had burned twice my caloric intake and we still had four miles to go before the end of the night. I was starving! This little sandwich shop had the biggest sandwiches I had ever seen.

They were about five inches in diameter, and I somehow managed to eat the whole thing. On top of that, I drank three glasses of their Root-beer, which they had on tap! (As a lover of Root-beer this was wonderful for me). I even got a large strawberry shortcake for dessert. All three of the women who were with me just looked at me like I had grown another stomach, which to be fair I might have. Two of the three have known me for most of my life, and they had never seen me eat that much in one sitting. Low and behold, a few hours later, after we hiked the remaining 4 of our 14 miles that day, I was hungry again!

That trip was full of fun stories, a few lessons, and a lot of first experiences for me. I got to hear all about the Appalachian Trail from one of the women. Her stories kept me entertained for hours, and I’m sure I annoyed her with all of my questions, but she humored me every time. We all got to experience a sketchy hitchhiking trip with an older gentleman and his wife, definitely a first for me! And I learned how to build a small, but sustainable fire just out of pure boredom one evening.

We managed to walk over 40 miles in a few days, under our goal due to poor weather, but still awesome for my second trip. I also managed to spot a few snakes, albeit only a few inches long, but the perfect size for me! From swimming in a cold creek to walking through stinging nettle up to our elbows, to standing at the top of inspiration point and feeling on top of the world, definitely a backpacking trip for the books. Even the freeze-dried food was great! Something I had been skeptical about at first.

My goal is to start getting out of the Midwest and backpack in some more interesting places. Europe is high on my list, but there are still some places in the US where I would love to see. Being able to travel by backpacking is so different than the traditional way of traveling, and it offers a different perspective than you’d be used to.