I don't know if any of you saw this, but last weekend I was in Granite Falls, WA, doing a wilderness survival training course.
It was the hardest thing I ever did. Tested me to the limit, even more than my rim-to-rim Grand Canyon day hike in 2021.
Nonstop rain, cold. Slept outside under a tarp. Had really poor equipment. I had to learn to compartmentalize my thoughts into half hour intervals just to get through the night. No sleep, by the way. I simply couldn't.
Frankly, I am still processing the whole thing in my head. Like, what did I do this for? What did I get out of it? Did it make me stronger, more resilient, expose me in any way? (The latter, YES.)
I always think of myself as a physically strong person. I wake up at 4am every day and workout out, then run outside, shirtless, regardless of temperature. (This morning was 25 degrees Farenheith.)
Nevertheless, I think I am still mentally weak. The course exposed me.