We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Audrey Payne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Audrey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

About 10 years ago, I seriously injured my spine during a group exercise class at the gym. I had always been an active person, but this injury swept the rug out from under me and forced me to slow way down. I had to quit running cold turkey, which was my daily meditation, as even the most mundane, low-impact activities caused tremendous pain. Healing took years and included various medications, physical therapy, a spinal fusion, and a whole lot of waiting. During that time, I picked up a copy of Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” about his hike of the Appalachian Trail. Something about the idea of hiking from Georgia to Maine stuck, and I promised myself that if I was ever healthy enough again, I would do it. Fast-forward to a few years later, when I was about two years deep into my dream job on the communications team at World Wildlife Fund. I finally felt strong enough to backpack, and the pull to hike the Appalachian Trail just wouldn’t stop trying to lead me to Georgia. I gave in, putting in a month’s notice at my amazing job and heading off on a six-month adventure in the Appalachian wilds.

Audrey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always loved to write, so while I was thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, I blogged about my experience for a website called The Trek. I also regularly journaled during my time out there, and eventually, I gathered these blog posts and journal entries together to compile a memoir about my experience. It is called, “Where the Rhododendrons Bloom,” and is available on Amazon and Kindle.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want people to get out of their comfort zone in favor of chasing their dreams. So many of the most meaningful experiences of my life have begun with some fear and anxiety, but I pushed through and was greatly rewarded. If I had given in to those negative emotions, I would have seriously missed out. I want to inspire others to do the same.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is connecting with other people, and inspiring them to follow their own dreams. It can be difficult to put myself out there and face criticism for my choices, especially in the age of internet trolls, but the interactions that I have with others because of my memoir or my social media accounts are overwhelmingly positive. I get messages all the time from people telling me that my work has inspired them to finally do this thing they’ve been thinking about for years, and for me, that makes it all worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://audrey-adventures.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/audipayne
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/audipayne
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AudreyAdventures
• Other: https://TikTok.com/@audipayne

Image Credits

Book cover art by Monica Aguilar

Photos by Audrey Payne