Introductions

Hi there friends!

 

If you don’t already know me, my name is Brandon, I’m 30 years old, and on May 12th, 2022 I plan to begin hiking 2650 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail!

 

I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to take on this 4-to-5-month challenge. In the final days as I leave, I am raising funds to help support the costs of food, gear, and lodging while ensuring I have a cushion for emergencies and post-trail life. Please see here if you would like to support- BrandonSopher'sPCTGoFundMe

 

For those that don’t know my story, and even for those who do know some of it, I want to share where my life has taken me over the past 8 years and my heart and intention behind this upcoming adventure.


In 2015, my life radically changed when I decided to leave Williams, my first job after graduating from Texas A&M University. At the time, I was working as a Supply Chain Specialist in Williams’ logistics and inventory departments. I loved the people I worked with and I gained a lot of great experience in that first year and a half. Yet, as time wore on, it became clear to me that something wasn’t quite right. Call it a quarter-life crisis or the classic millennial move, but the graduate, graduate, have a career, and retire formula that I had grown up expecting to live out was starting to lose its appeal and I wasn’t quite sure why. I’m not a lazy person, anybody who knows me will agree with that. But I am the type of person who needs to be crystal clear on the purpose behind what I’m doing. At some point throughout college and my first job after graduating, I lost that purpose and direction. I desperately needed someone or something to help me figure out what I was doing and where I was going. Some people probably would have sought out a therapist or a minister. Some may have put on a grin and bore their discontentment. It’s only getting easier to distract ourselves from thinking about and answering the important questions in our life. (Looking at you Netflix and social media…) My solution, however, was to quit my job and move to New Zealand. The idea was to backpack and explore, travel around with zero plans, and work for food and accommodation along the way. I thought that if I could throw myself into a completely foreign environment, I would be forced out of my comfort zone and come face-to-face with some hard understanding about myself. Of course, it also sounded kind of fun.

 

What would I do if there was nobody around expecting me to act a certain way? What would I do if there was no schedule to follow or appointments to make? What do I want to do? Is that even a question I should be asking? What will I believe when there is nobody around to judge me? How will I act? Why do I care? These were some deep questions that only in hindsight did I realize I needed an answer to. Something spurred me on to action, and so began an 8-month journey through the land of the Kiwis.

 

New Zealand, in short, was incredible. I met so many interesting and unique people from all different walks of life, and I got to see some truly breathtaking scenery. Life was simpler there. It seemed to me that people spent the majority of their time outside hiking, hunting, farming, and surfing. Many grew their own food in their gardens. I was introduced to the concept of seasonal work where people would bust their butts when there was work to be done, but then follow that up with 1-2 months of adventuring or traveling, either by themselves or with the people they loved. Work and money just didn’t seem to be at the top of everyone’s priorities. I wasn’t sure if I was being corrupted or if my eyes were slowly being opened. But one thing was for sure, I was learning a lot about myself and the world around me.

 

Working for your food and stay is a great way to get to know locals, get a more in-depth feel for the culture, and learn skills that you never even thought about learning. (Some skills maybe you don’t need or want to learn…) While in New Zealand, I worked at many different places including a pub, an island hostel, a salmon factory, a farm, an aspiring self-sustainable permaculture commune, an equine therapy group, and a world-class red deer hunting outfit to name a few. Any time I wanted to go explore a new area or visit a desired destination, I’d find work nearby and let the journey unfold. It was an incredible way to live as I learned to both take more control over the choices in my life, and yet, ironically at the same time, relinquish control and embrace the never-ending spontaneities that came my way. The memories I have of these places and the people that I met I absolutely cherish and will be with me for the rest of my life.

 

Looking back, leaving for New Zealand was one of the best decisions I ever made and was one that has completely changed the course of my life. In large part, it was so important simply because I was the one who made the decision. Up until that point I had done everything that I thought I was supposed to do, yet there was a real lack of ownership or foresight in my actions and beliefs. Now, I was making a proactive decision to risk against the “norm” and invest in myself. (Of course, people don’t need to travel halfway across the globe to arrive at this moment in their life, that’s just how it was for me). Throughout this experience I learned that I wasn’t the type of person who was going to sit by and let life slip away. I was going to live purposefully. I also realized that now that I had done something so seemingly crazy and out there, the script I had for my life was thrown out the window and anything was possible. I began to dream of other places I wanted to explore, challenges I wanted to meet, fears I wanted to face, things I wanted to learn, people I wanted to serve, and the kind of person I wanted to be.

 

In short, after New Zealand, I decided that faith, people, adventures, and learning were the most important things in my life, so I began pursuing jobs and experiences that aligned with that view. I moved to Valencia, Spain to learn Spanish. (Todovia solo se un poco...) I went to Oktoberfest with some high school friends. I lived out of a car as I drove through the Amalfi coast in Southwestern Italy. I hugged a tree in the Vatican. I crashed a wedding in Lucerne, Switzerland. I worked as a bathroom fitter with an uncle in Ipswich, England. I explored German Christmas markets with extended relatives. I climbed to the tallest peak in Great Britain. I became an adventure tour guide for the late American Adventures, taking groups of people on cross-country camping trips throughout the United States. And more recently, I began working at Innovation 360, a substance abuse and mental disorder outpatient therapy clinic in Dallas, TX where my job for the past 4+ years has been to speak into the lives of individuals who are struggling and to help them realize their worth and direction in life. I also get to take groups of these clients on camping trips around the country, because you know, adventure. It’s good for the soul! (For more information I360, please check their website out- https://i360dallas.com/ - It really is a one of a kind place!)

 

And this brings us to the Pacific Crest Trail. Looking back, this is an adventure that has been a goal of mine since I first heard about it 7+ years ago. Would I be able to measure up to the physical, mental, and spiritual strain of hiking through the wilderness for 4-5 months? I still don’t know, but the time to find out the answer is now. I’ve learned that waiting for the right moment to go after your dreams is a fool’s errand, there is no better time than now.

People keep asking me why I’m doing this, well finally here is my answer:

 

I love creating spaces in my life where the outcome is a complete unknown. Practicing this surrender of control better allows the Lord to step in, show up, and more clearly speak into my life. Dropping all plans and relying on that direction is scary, but also exhilarating. It’s a forced reminder and reflection of how I want to live my life every single day. I’m doing this to gain more of that perspective. I’m doing this to take a break from all of the day-to-day distractions that keep me from more purposefully living out my life and serving others. I’m doing this because nature is where I feel closest to The Lord. I’m doing this for the mental, physical, and spiritual challenge of hiking thousands of miles in the wilderness. I’m doing this because I value experiences and people above the material. I’m doing this because it’s an adventure, and it simply seems worth doing.

 

I want to thank everyone who has read this far and a big special thanks to the family and friends who continually encourage and support me and my adventurous spirit- especially my parents. I wouldn’t be able to make these moves without such a solid support base. If you feel so inclined to support through this GoFundMe page I’d really appreciate it, and I’ll be finding ways to personally thank every one of you.

 

If you’d like to send letters or care packages, please see the following page for more information. –

 

Again, thank you for the prayers and support! I feel so blessed and excited for the days to come. And now, to the trail. Onwards and upwards!     

                                                                                                                    - Brandon 

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