Yes, I am convinced of that. I would probably have gotten lost much more often and encountered more challenges along the way. I have two traits that are incredibly inconvenient for a long-distance hiker.

First of all, I have DTD, developmental topographical disorientation. Simply put: I have no sense of direction at all and struggle to remember where I am and how to get back. Even in familiar surroundings, I can get lost and I cannot form a mental map of the environment. Secondly, I have aphantasia. That means I cannot see images in my head. When someone says, “Think of an apple,” I don’t see an apple in front of me. I think of an apple, but no picture appears in my mind. These are two rare conditions that I have both received as gifts.

For me as a full-time hiker, these two things mean that modern navigation is almost essential. My GPS and phone are not luxuries, but rather basic needs. They literally help me find my way. Without a solid navigation app and digital maps, I would have to rely much more on reading maps, landmarks, and other ways of navigating. And that is really incredibly difficult for me.

But would I not have started this adventure because of that? Absolutely! The need to hike and be on the go came from deep within. It was an irresistible call. I simply HAD to do this. And during my sabbatical, when I hiked continuously through Europe for nine months, it was confirmed that this is indeed the life I want to lead. I don’t think it’s a choice I ever made consciously. It’s something that just had to come out. Something I could no longer ignore. If I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have been true to myself. And I couldn’t forgive myself for that.

Without a phone and internet, I probably would have found other ways to find my way. Literally and figuratively. Maybe I would have avoided certain routes. Maybe I would have gotten lost more often. Maybe I would have been more desperate. Maybe I should have asked someone more often which way to go. Maybe I would have learned to navigate with a paper map in the old-fashioned way. But ultimately, I would have found solutions and would have gone hiking anyway. Because this is not an escape from my old life. It is precisely a way to be myself and to live.

Living with a capital L instead of surviving…

Asking costs nothing. Do you have a question? Every Sunday, I answer one. Ask it in the comments or anonymously via the contact form.