Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Flowers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelly, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When I first embarked on my healing journey, I started out with very little confidence and virtually no self-love. I went through different paths in my journey to help me. I would journal and work on processing the emotions that arose with it. I would meditate and work on fostering those positive feelings for myself. I would practice yoga for the physical and mental benefits of it.
But a major impact to my healing journey was my hiking. Whenever I step foot onto a trail, I instantly feel calmer. I have been playing in the mountains of Western North Carolina ever since I can remember. Pisgah Forest specifically holds many cherished memories for me.
When I first started my healing journey, I would hike, A LOT. I would just get lost in the forest, play in the wild waters, and listen to what the forest has to tell me. It helped me cultivate my inner peace. It helped challenge my body and mind. I built resilience. I built perseverance. I learned to see beauty in everything, including myself. I took on difficult challenges and was able to succeed in completing them. Every time I finish a trail I would give myself a mental high-five.
Hiking has become so embedded into every cell of my body that when I’m away for too long, I can physically feel the effects in me. When I get back onto a trail, I feel recharged. I feel rejuvenated. I cannot be away from the mountains because they are definitely my home.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
The Solo Hiker is my hiking blog where I share any and all of my outdoor adventures! I share my experiences of the trails that I trek, tips for successful hiking, and everything else in between. I have my website, www.thesolohiker.com, and I am on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok under The Solo Hiker. For those that prefer audio versions of reading, I am also in the process of uploading my blogs to Spotify and YouTube!
I also have a store in progress that I will be launching very soon onto my website. This will offer prints of my photos and other novelties. I’m very excited to share these items!!
I love that I am able to share my experiences and what it has offered me as far as my healing journey. My last post that I made I went into the fact that I am also enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training and it has pushed me to do more of my inner work. The Solo Hiker will be shifting to reflect some of those experiences for me as they go hand in hand. When I am out on the trails, I almost always meditate and just tune into the natural world around me. I’m so fortunate to live where these beautiful places are so close to me and I can be in harmony with nature.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three I would say are willpower, awareness, and an open heart. If there is one thing that I have learned while hiking is a lot of times things do not go as planned. It’s important to not to trip on the roots of the path – literally and figuratively. The weather can change and now it’s raining and you’re 3 miles from your car. There was a sketchy character that made you feel uneasy and had to change course or turn back. Your phone died halfway out to a waterfall. The trail is not marked well and your GPS is yelling at you every couple of minutes because you’re off route.
My willpower is what has helped me get to the trails in times of constant busyness and stress. My willpower is what told me to keep going on the trail and that I’m almost to the peak. My willpower is what gave me the strength to climb over those balds to get to the views.
My awareness is what has kept me safe. My awareness is what connects me to the natural world. My awareness is what helped me adapt to enjoy the journey as best as I could.
My open heart is what has allowed me to learn more about nature. My open heart has allowed me to feel the healing energy of the wild waters. My open heart has allowed me to heal in the mountains.
My advice to those who want to hone these qualities is to just simply be mindful. Be present in the moment. Plan your route and adjust to your skill level. Always share your plan with a trusted person. Be aware of what is happening around you – for safety and to not miss out on the journey. Learn to just simply be in nature. Put down the phone for a moment and just listen to the wind in the trees, the birds in the distance, the water rushing in the river and over the rocks. The stillness of the mountain peaks and the views that go on forever. Just listen and just be.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My strength and resilience. Recovering from Covid and the long-term effects it had on my physical body (constant pain and aches in my whole body and completely depleting my energy) and my mental body (fatigue and brain fog) has been such a challenge for me.
As many of my followers know I took on several challenges that I had from November of last year to the end of January this year to complete. I had to walk 35 miles for the American Indian College Fund, find 10 waterfalls for the Waterfall Chaser Challenge, pick up trash along the way for the Johnson Outdoors Challenge, and hike 100 miles for the Winter 100 Challenge. These challenges pushed me to my limits. So many times I wanted to throw in the towel.
My last day of the challenges I drove 5.5 hours in opposite directions to get to the last 2 waterfalls in Bryson City and to hike the last 8 miles on Roan Mountain. It was raining with the waterfalls and there was still a ton of snow up at Roan. I still did it and I still get goosebumps when I think about it. It opened my eyes to see how far I had come from healing from Covid. I’m so proud of myself for accomplishing these challenges.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesolohiker.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_solohiker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesolohiker
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_solohiker
