A pretty bold statement, I know. But that’s exactly how I felt after going on my first extended backpacking trip – a 14-day hike in the Wind River Wilderness Range in the western region of Wyoming in July of this year. It truly changed. my. life.
This wasn’t just any backpacking adventure – it was a NOLS course. The National Outdoor Leadership School, based out of Lander, WY, has been around since 1965 and has trained outdoor leaders in technical outdoor skills, risk assessment and decision-making, and ethical and environmental best practices ever since. And boy, do they do it well.
My NOLS trip was by far one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. I returned back to “civilization” with a new outlook on life, nature, the environment, and myself.
As you can imagine, I was thrilled to be asked to share my experiences about my life-changing adventure for NOLS.edu blog. The article is now live on the site. Please check it out!
If you ever have the opportunity to take a NOLS course, do not hesitate. You will not regret it. I promise.
Have you had a similarly life-changing experience with nature? Tell me about it in the comments section below!
4 replies on “The Backpacking Trip that Changed My Life”
[…] was super-excited to be back in Lander, WY since just over a year ago I came to the town to attend my NOLS course in the Wind River range. We ended up eating at the Gannett Grill – the very same restaurant my group went to directly […]
[…] I think of all that time I spent fretting and debating over the decision to leave New York and I can’t believe how worried I was — it’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because on a personal level it forced me to face some of my fears and has made me much more willing to take chances. […]
“If you ever have the opportunity to take a NOLS course, do not hesitate. You will not regret it. I promise.”
100 percent totally agree. I also did a NOLS Prime course this summer, and now I often think back to all I learnt and how it changed the way I think about things and approach problems. I often read about the courses being life changing for teenagers, but I think they can also be so for adults. Maybe even more so, as as an adult you are mostly in a comfy self-determined situation, where you rarely have to question how you interact or function.
Thank you mimfo! Who says life-changing events can only be for the young? 😉 So glad you had a similarly transformative experience. Congratulations on becoming a NOLS alumni.