I’m going hiking!

For those of you who know me, I am an avid backpacker. I found that backpacking is the one way that I can truly disconnect. It is a separate identity from my life as a veterinarian. As you can imagine, being a veterinarian is a very strong identity. People I meet outside of work still identify me as a veterinarian. I even once had a neighbor tell me that for the longest time they thought my name was Yvette because someone told them that I was “a vet.”

When I am backpacking, I must be in the present moment and focused on the task at hand. I am often by myself and can really unplug. It is one of the rare times that I can relax and read a book and not feel guilty that I should be taking care of a client or patient.

One of my dreams has been to hike the Pacific crest Trail. For a long time, it seemed like a pipe dream, but one day after a long day at work when I was thinking I wanna retire, I thought about the concept of a little mini retirement. After talking with my financial advisor, he called it a sabbatical and encouraged me to take one. Then the idea of doing the PCT became a reality.

See my blog here: https://thetrek.co/author/noelani-r/