From comedian Sally Chaffin Brooks comes a memoir about the thing she can't seem to shut up about— her life changing thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.
25-year-old Sally has no reason to upend her comfortable, conventional life to spend 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail; no reason except that her charismatic best friend, Erin, asked her to come along. A woefully out-of-shape Sally quickly realizes she may not actually be prepared for the realities of thru-hiking— brutal weather, wrong turns, and painful blisters have her wanting to quit almost as soon as she starts. But out of loyalty to Erin, or maybe the sinking realization that her life needed upending, Sally sticks it out. As she and Erin trek from Georgia to Maine, they collect a ragtag band of hikers and together stumble from one hilarious (and sometimes scary) predicament to another. By the time she reaches Maine— accompanied by Erin, their crew, and a guy she's maybe (definitely) falling in love with— readers will cheer for the stronger, more self-assured Sally that has emerged and wish they could start the laugh-out-loud, life-affirming adventure all over again. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
The minute I saw the cover of this memoir, I knew I needed to read it.
My wife and I plan a three week road trip every summer where we camp in our rooftop tent and fly by the seat of our pants. We also love Maine. We are actually headed there this Friday! We make a point at least once a summer to take a trip to Gyp's Tavern in New Jersey. It's this hole in the wall bar near the Appalachian Trail and there’s always someone there with their hiking pack, having a beer and talking with strangers. I’m always in awe of them and always considering if I should talk my wife into hiking along with them!
I have heard some compare this memoir to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, and while it has some of that same vibe and flavor, I found Sally to really have her own voice and be more approachable. No disrespect at all to Cheryl, but I liked this story more. It resonated with me, and found a place in my heart. I think this memoir may be up there as a top favorite.
I was so inspired by Sally’s words and so many of her references. I now want to journal again, throw caution to the wind and hike for five months straight with 35 pounds on my back. I want to get a wild woman tattoo and marvel at the beauty of the mountains and laugh with my best friend.
There are so many important themes explored in Sally’s story. I loved her found family. I want to know Mike and Ben, Pilgrim, Sweets, See Blue, and Turbo. I love the way she learned how to come into her own, how she closed a door on her old self and made room for who she became. She made me think so much about how our worlds can get narrow and being aware of that is so helpful.
I love books that paint pictures in your mind and leave imprints on your soul and this book did that for me.
Thanks to Kaye Publicity for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Going to Maine here.
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