Becky Wandell – Reinvention, Solo Travel, and Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail at 55

Becky Wandell is a Teacher, Writer, Tour Guide, Volunteer, and Solo Traveler. At 47, while weathering a difficult divorce and the death of four close relatives, she clawed her way up from the depths of grief and, in her words, set out to "find her way back to Becky again". To do this, she quit her job, sold all of her belongings and charted a plan to complete a series of adventures she had always dreamed of doing. Joining the US Peace Corps, learning to speak Spanish and gaining her confidence in solo travel and living abroad set the stage for several years of living her best life throughout South America; a life rich with opportunities to learn, grow, serve others through volunteering, integrate deeply into cultures, and make connections - especially with women. Then, in 2024 at the age of 55, she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. It was there, with thousands of footsteps across the desert, over the mountains and back home to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, she was finally able to release the last of her regrets, coming away from the trek feeling lighter, freer, more confident and beautiful than ever before. Turns out, living life to the fullest and fulfilling all your dreams brings joy. Now, Becky works as a seasonal Tour Guide in Alaska which allows her to spend the rest of the year living out of her backpack, always ready for the next adventure. *** New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries. Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Your support makes a difference. Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Becky Teacher, writer, solo traveller, volunteer and tour guide Starting her life in the Mid-WestKnowing she always wanted to live by mountains Starting to work for the forest service in environmental programs Having a wonderful career and lifeNeeding to make a pivot in her life and needing to figure out what she really wanted to doJoining the Peace Corps at 47 Wanting to travel more, learn a new language and experience more of the worldDeciding to hike the Pacific Crest Trail at 55 from Mexico to CanadaGaining a huge amount of confidence Wanting to slow travel more and working as a tour guide in AlaskaLiving her dream and being the best beaky she can beThe pivot at 47The love letters….. the origin story to her relationship Giving up her dreams and "compromising" Typing out all the things that she wanted to do back thenSacrificing her dreams What the Peace Corps isLearning so much about herself, other people and cultures Living in Ecuador with a family and leaning the language Her new path and dealing with lonely momentsLosing her parents Slow travel and volunteering around South America Workaway Spending 2 years travelling around Patagonia Her dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)Feeling ready to take on the hikeNot having fears or concerns before the hikeLetting go of fearGetting her trail nameChallenging sections on the PCTWhy 700 miles in the desert was the real challenge Being supported by her friends during the tough momentsThe mental gameDoing hard things Writing a letter to herself Can she push her body that hard to make the hike happenPreparing for the trail really wellNeeding to hike her hike her wayLearning about her last nameSharing a little video from the end of the PCTFinally identifying as a tough girl How to connect with Becky Final words of adviceGive up the fear, your going to be ok Start planning, take the step. Social Media Blog: onthewingadventures.com Instagram: @beckysonthewingadventures