Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

In the same vein as Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, the Pacific Crest Trail provides the setting for a tortured soul seeking to find themselves and wrestle with their inner demons. The physical portion of their two journeys share many parallels: water shortages, freak storms, wildlife encounters, malfunctioning gear and even a creepy encounter in the Northwest. The emotional journeys are where their paths diverge. While Strayed struggled with addiction and personal loss, Anderson struggles with self-worth and depression.

When asked how she learned to persevere through the many struggles of her journey, Anderson replies, “I learned acceptance—both of myself and circumstances. I learned how to think only about how I respond to things, rather than lament when they aren’t what I expected or wanted.” This mindset became the driving force that kept her moving until—spoiler alert—her perseverance pays and she’s able to claim the PCT’s FKT.

In Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, Anderson recounts her journey almost as fast as she hiked the PCT. It’s a quick read, where the landscape whizzes by in a blur, and every drink of water is a gift from the gods. You not only feel every blister on her trail-weary feet, but also experience her inspirational progression as she overcomes inner turmoil and self-doubt and transforms into a determined hiking machine with a singular goal. As Anderson puts it, “Turmoil doesn’t last forever. Turmoil is pretty easy to walk out. It’s growth that’s hard. Thirst is really just the tip of that iceberg.”