i solo camped on an island for 3 days | first time female backpacker

Auto-captioned from the film, lightly cleaned. Elena's words, not edited prose.

hello what's up it's Elena I am out on Catalina Island by myself for the next 3 days hiking through the Wilderness let's backtrack a little I've gone on solo trips in the past but I've never done a long-distance hiking trip especially on my own while I really love being in nature I didn't grow up with a lot of exposure to The Great Outdoors it always kind of felt like certain activities even like camping felt like it was for a club where I was an impostor sure I'm comfortable in the ocean but I haven't spent a lot of time on open Trails but it's something that's always really intrigued me so as the year came to a close I really wanted to do something that would challenge me physically mentally emotionally to start off the new year and that's how I decided to walk across the island of Catalina by myself so the trans Catalina Trail is a 38 M trail that transverses the Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California I don't have enough time to do all of it but I'm doing a good portion of it and there's a company called Catalina back country on the island that actually offers gear halls and camping rentals which kind of felt like the perfect thing for this first trip Lorina from Catalina back country was kind enough to pick me up from the port where I took the fairy in and then she dropped me off along the trail so I could start my adventure all right just got to my drop off point I got my gear in the back this is what the gear haul does is they basically take my stuff for me sto by the grocery store got some Goods so I'll have uh food ready to go and then on my back just got my camera bag and whatnot which is nice cuz I have like a 8 n mile hike so I'll be nice and light and yeah let's hit the rock so to pause for a second if you're wondering why I'm here and why I'm doing it Soo I was kind of thinking to there's a bug okay we're good from the top was kind of reflecting as the year was starting to come to a close I wanted to just do something that would be a little uncomfortable a little difficult push me outside my comfort zone I feel like those are the times when I grow the most and I learn a lot more about myself and I haven't taken that time or space for myself in a while I wanted to do something where I could kind of Disconnect my phone obviously is not going to work while I'm here and reconnect with nature and I decided to do it solo because I knew for one it'd be a little bit more challenging and it would also give me a lot of space to kind of reflect on what I want in this new year and I know the new year is just like a date on a calendar I do like to use that time as a chance to really process you know the past year as well as process what I want and who I want to be and the things I want in my life moving forward so I figured this would be a really good time for that I know I so so stunning Something Good Can Come Along soes little confused where the trail went think figured it out I'll promise the words update about halfway through my hike for today today is like my 8 or n mile hike so far so good definitely certain parts very steep inclines so if you're unfamiliar with Catalina it's known for its bison odd cuz they're not native to the island but in the 1920s there was a film I think it's called Vanishing America that was made here on the island and for the movie they they wanted bison so they brought a bunch of Bison over to the island we've stayed here and it's kind of become like a mascot for Catalina I haven't seen it yet I've been on the Outlook let it in if I could I would be right here with you this world of tiing clocks I hope I'm getting through go that way and then transcar Trail I will let you in into my mind the Fall Tears that have been long asleep H I'm only on mile 7 right now and I'm already started talking to myself so things are going well literally no one around like it's just me almost there there she is finally made it to the campsite Catalina Back Country hooked it up it's so helpful cre for people are like beginning beginner Campers or basically don't have the gear like if you were to like fly to California and want to do this type of trip but you don't have a bunch of camping gear this is like the perfect way to go this is so great I'm going to put my backpack down and then I really want to go explore the beach there are a few other people staying here which is nice if there was no other campers I'd be a little spooked I do have my good old pepper spray and pocket knife to protect me oh God okay scrambling up this that is beautiful oh my goodness so stunning the hike today went really smoothly it was super peaceful I saw one bison I was hoping I'd see more before I left I wrote some prompting questions in just the notes on my phone just to kind of ruminate on as I strolled along which was nice to have something anchoring as I walked to think about not too lonely yet just sitting on this big rock I'm going to go attempt to build the fire I believe in myself I built fires before never fully built one alone going to sleep with the sun waking up Sun that's the goal along here this is insane good work nature I don't want to get up I surprisingly slept so well I don't know if it's cuz of like elevated or if that hike just tired me out so much but I just slipped like 9 hours in New York I can only sleep like 700 this is great it's so peaceful I can hear the waves outside and it's so quiet time to get out of my cocoon I can stay in the sleeping bag all day I cannot believe how sore I am my legs my ass is so sore nothing like brushing your teeth with a view I want to go this Su got my little breakfast here a banana and Justin's Almond Butter maple flavored CU I was feeling special just sitting on this little here as you can see my head feels clear my lungs feel good there's so much fresh air obviously so another back on the road again as you can see I was camping right there this here is Little Harbor and then across is shark Harbor now I'm walking up this steep clip face and made it that way I want to go this Sunday I know we going somewhere into danger s it all points right to that I set myself aside C the way on this Tri if you don't know the way we can stop and make a change I know we walk for days losing home fading love this night will be okay waking up to another these Hills are no joke I have to climb up that little mountain can see some hikers this part of the hike is known to be very strenuous and now I know why oh my gosh made it to the most incredible view wow you see that I had to listen to like pump up music to get myself up here so I was listening to Like You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Leo say like mumbling the words along and like bopping along the trail proud of myself for doing that that was hard from the deep forest into the sun so I said I came into this with reflective questions kind of about the new year but I think if anything right now this hike is just reminding me that I'm like I'm good I'm good with myself I'm enough as I am and I enjoy my own company I got myself things are going to be okay no matter what this year holds because the last two years have taught me that obviously things are completely out of my control but you know there's so many little things to find beauty and joy in I'm enough as I am things are going to be okay just got to keep your head up shoulders High put one foot in front of the next and you know see where life takes you just trying to make my way along the trail and look who I see I don't think that's enough space to like respectfully give him distance slash not egg him on oh my gosh he's huge I really don't know what to do right now I've just been standing on the side of road now for like five minutes trying to figure out what to do I feel like there's enough space but also they're like give the Bison a very wide birth it's a pretty big space in the trail but like he's just chilling there okay successfully passed by that was nerve-wracking they don't look real they look like animatronics all right onward time it's too late for goodby look at this campsite are you kidding me the view I am beat right now so I don't know how much uh filming I'm going to be doing while there's still a little bit of sunlight I think I'm going to take my Kindle with the new Earth and go read on the beach and then come back build a little fire don't worry I got PL try to enjoy the wa Touch of our hand just climbed up really big hill I'm quite out of breath but good morning from the third day you can see how beautiful it is so today I'm taking the fairy back from Two Harbors which is where I am now this morning there's this other trail that I'm kind of exploring cuz I still wanted to get like a a couple good miles in before taking the ferry back and it is so stunning up here and again I'm like completely alone which is just feels so good I know this isn't the best lighting but that's what we've got to work with there's not a lot of shade done camping before with friends where we're like one campsite for a couple nights and usually by the end I'm like pretty excited to go home and to shower in a bed but I don't feel that way this time I actually feel like I could keep going gladly like I would love to be able to do like another one or two days after this but I have a flight back to New York wow I highly recommend this to anyone out there I felt safe the whole time I know it's cheesy but to be able to like detox from the internet and any connectivity and it to immerse yourself in nature is so so incredible for like cultivating your spirit and your goals and kind of like getting rein touch with yourself and the things that matter to you and I've gone through a lot of different like waves of like emotional exhaustion physical exhaustion for one this was a lot physically harder than I thought I was like oh I can walk 10 miles but it is not walking it is hiking up very Steep inclines and how often do you take time to be completely and utterly alone not just like alone in your bedroom but like feeling like you are the only person out there it's kind of how this trip has felt there's been a few people along the trails I haven't seen anybody really except for one time and then I've seen a few people obviously at the campsites as well as now that I'm in a little town but in general it's felt like I'm like completely alone surrounded by Nature with like nobody in sight and very like centering as well I feel like a good way to feel connected to God or Mother Nature or whatever you want to call it for yourself so if you're feeling a little lost or confused or out of it take a hike we get outside nature you don't have to come for like multiple days and Hike alone across an island it's a game changer it feels like an incredible way to start the new year oh