Tag Archives: Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

13 years ago today, I started the adventure of a lifetime

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My PCT journey didn’t begin at the southern terminus in Campo. It began on a rock in Malta, looking out over the Mediterranean, desperate for change.

I had walked away from everything I knew. My partner, my career in events, and the apartment I was renting in London months before. I was unhappy with the direction my life had taken and knew I needed something major to turn things around.

What I learned living outdoors for six months changed the way I live today. When you can survive on everything you can carry in a backpack, you realise there isn’t much you really need in life, and that all those extra things create so much physical and mental clutter.

I became connected to the rhythms of nature, the cycles of the moon, the changing of the seasons, and felt as much a part of the wilderness as the creatures who roam it. The only time I ever felt fear was when I got close to civilisation, or when I saw somebody on the trail who didn’t look like a thru-hiker.

Yes, I may have been terrified when a cougar stalked me for 2.5 hours, but not in the same way I feel fear when I walk home from a bar in the middle of a city at night.

13 years on from the trail, I still yearn to be hiking those miles every day. Not for the walking, but for the feeling of purpose, discovery, community, and the healing power of nature.

You don’t need to spend six months in the wilderness to learn these things. Even one night under the stars can have a transformative effect.

I’m excited to be at a point in my life where I can share the lessons I learned with other women who feel stuck and are searching for change in their lives. It’s so easy to make excuses and put things off, but like my decision to hike the trail, I’m forever grateful I took that leap of faith.

If you want to learn more about my new offerings, check out my website: https://www.rozannepilbeam.com/ and be sure to sign up to my newsletter for more real-time updates.

Happy Trails,

Muk Muk 💕

Writing

Another Writing Milestone – Video 100 🎉

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For those who don’t follow my @serial_nomad.writes YouTube channel, I just posted the 100th video of my memoir writing journey, which began back in May of 2014. To celebrate the milestone, I put together a 6-minute montage of my 2.5-year first draft journey, documenting the highs and lows of that initial struggle using my fingers rather than my feet to reach the northern terminus of the PCT.

To put things into perspective, a typical memoir usually sits around 80,000–100,000 words. My first draft was 250,000, which is why it has taken 10+ years to whittle the story down into something more digestible, though I still love the first draft as much as my current one.

In regard to my writing, I’ve had some very interesting developments take place this past week. The agent who I mentioned in my previous post actually got back to me and asked for the first 50 pages of my manuscript. In agent terms, this is called a “partial request.” I was so overwhelmed I burst into tears, and if you begin following @serial_nomad.writes, I’ll be posting a video of my reaction to her email next week! (Now if that doesn’t get a few new subscribers, I don’t know what will). ☺️

I had started moving in the direction of self-publishing, with the hope of birthing this book in 2026. But now that I’ve had some professional interest, I’m planning to wait the 3–4 month period it could take her to review the first 50 pages and see what happens. You’ll be the first to know if and when I hear anything more! Fingers crossed! 🤞🏻