Returning home after a life-changing thru-hike

Paul Barach hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017. (Photo courtesy Paul Barach)

“I’d spent 163 days unwrapping this incredible gift, now there was that hollow feeling you get on Christmas evening, surrounded by empty boxes.”
— Paul Barach

Grand adventures often change us. They help us process complicated emotions and work through our problems. We emerge happier, more at peace with the world.

But what if the forward progress is temporary? What if all the good vibes end, when you return to the “real world”?

On this episode, Paul Barach shares the story of his Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and explores the difficult process of going home to a life that looks bleak and broken.

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