Alexandria Griffith: American Camino

 In the class text, one point that is brought up is ones senses while backpacking on the AT. While on the AT it is recorded that many tend to realize more regarding their senses. People may pay attention more to the sounds around them, the scents, ect. This can be for a number of reasons. The first thing that comes to my mind is distractions. On many individuals day-to-day we often find ourselves distracted or needing some sense of entertainment. This can be listening to music, or maybe scrolling on social media on a walk to class. We as students become custom to these ways of living. I am used to walking to class with my headphones on, and now when I dont it feels weird. I very rarely walk around campus without my headphones, and if I dont have them on then I am engaging in a conversation with a friend. Rarely can I say I think about the sounds, scents, ect around me on my walks around campus. While I was on the AT this summer I was able to understand fully what the claim above means first hand. The AT makes one more aware of their senses. When I was backpacking I was alone on some of my hikes. When I am alone I tend to spend time on my phone, listening to music, ect. But, while I was backpacking none of those things were an option. I tried not to use my phone a ton while I was on the AT, and even if I were to go on it to try and entertain my brain it would end up dying eventually. I spent a lot of time just looking at things around me. I starred at trees and tried to notices differences within leaves and their colors or shapes. I noticed the differences in scents from locations. I heard the water flow and I heard my peers in different locations. I noticed I was paying attention to things that I had never payed attention to before. I had never just stood outside and looked at all of the trees and the leaves on them. The AT makes people more aware of their senses, it made me more aware of my senses. 

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