Thirst Quotes

“At least now I knew that my heart was wedded to the mountains--to the wild places. It was there, and there alone, that I was whole, contented, and blissful. No relationship, career, or wealth could ever take its place.”
― Heather "Anish" Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I'd failed to live up to the expectations of my parents. I had not utilized my education in any real way and I'd given up on my marriage. For the first time, I accepted that I could not meet the expectations of others and make myself happy at the same time. Being true to myself had led me here--onto a wild trail in the middle of the night--not into a nine-to-five and the creation of my own family. I hated myself for not being able to conform happily. I hated myself for trying and failing. I loved myself for choosing to do what was right for me, no matter the cost. I forgave myself for trying to please others when I knew it wasn't right for me.”
― Heather "Anish" Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“No matter the outcome, I will be thankful for the strength of my body--for the blessing of being alive. For the opportunity to face the night.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I want to set a record. Not just any record, but an athletic record. One that everyone will know me for. One that my dad will be proud of. I don't know what it will be, but I will do it. I have a lot of weaknesses, but I have two critical strengths. I am stubborn and I am smart.”
― Heather "Anish" Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“Did it matter whether or not I was normal if I was happy?”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I had never thought that I was good enough, fast enough, strong enough, thin enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or any other “enough.” Nothing I did had ever met my own unattainable expectations of what “enough” was. Is that why I threw myself into the hardest physical endeavor I could think of? Was I simply desperate to do something that would make me approve of myself?”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I refuse to let this suffering be for nothing. In fact, I refuse to suffer." I whispered to myself as I pushed each tent stake into the ground. "I can adapt. I am adapting." Another long day was done and I was forty-two miles closer to Canada.”
― Heather "Anish" Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“Trails took me on the adventures I craved and to beautiful, wondrous, wild places. I lost my heart and soul—and eventually 70 pounds—to the trails.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I’d realized that everyone was beautifully scarred by life’s wounds. Before, I hadn’t thought of my scars as beautiful, but in facing my fears, and myself, in the dark hours I saw that scars denote healing—they tell our story of triumph. They proclaim our ability to overcome, and to face the Night.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“Somewhere along the way I learned to stop letting fear stop me. And that has made all the difference.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“The truth is, I don’t know if I can or not. However, I think I can, and that is more than half the battle.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“For the first time, I accepted that I could not meet the expectations of others and make myself happy at the same time. Being true to myself had led me here—onto a wild trail in the middle of the night—not into a nine-to-five and the creation of my own family. I hated myself for not being able to conform happily. I hated myself for trying and failing. I loved myself for choosing to do what was right for me, no matter the cost. I forgave myself for trying to please others when I knew it wasn’t right for me.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“A surge of optimism overwhelmed me. At first, I couldn't quite identify the new emotion, but at last I realized what it was: I felt capable. Perhaps not capable of completing my goal, but at least capable of meeting challenges and solving problems as they came my way.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

“I was stronger than I had known. I was also hungry, sunburned, and lonely.”
― Heather Anish Anderson, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home