People of the PCT: Roo

"We met David all the way back in week one of the trail at a water source just outside of Julian, CA. He was very kind and our first in depth conversation was about photography; he gave me some tips and tricks. I've come to realize he is a humble and very, very talented photographer. We hiked around him and his friend Josh until Idyllwild. I didn't see him or Josh again until a brief encounter in Wrightwood. Then not again until Kennedy Meadows South, once more at Kearsarge Pass and finally at Hostel California in Bishop. He always has a level head and calmness about him. If you'd like to continue following his journey you can follow him on Instagram @davidceddia"  - Journey Man

What's your name / trail name or both?

David Ceddia (Roo, on account of carrying my camera in a pouch on my front)

Where are you from?

Melbourne, Australia

Why did you decide to do the PCT?

Because I like hiking, I wanted to do more and what better long trail to than the PCT? Its fame and community make it a standout choice.

What has been the most challenging thing you've encountered on trail so far?

Mmmmmmm... It's probably a controversial thing to say, but honestly, the most challenging thing has been compromising my hike for the sake of others. Taking longer to do things than I would alone, going out of my way for others preferences and doing things that I plainly don't want to has been tough. Perhaps I find it the most challenging because I didn't expect it. I expected the hiking to be hard but didn't mentally prepare for the social aspect. Sometimes it can be rewarding though: it's nice to have someone to chat to over dinner and reminisce over the day's events.

What is something you've learned so far on your hike?

The main thing I've learned is something that I can put into words but, I think, cannot properly be understood with words alone. Being a nearly 30 year old student of mathematics and physics, I've spent most of my life understanding things in an abstract, intellectual way. The PCT, however, has been a physical or experienced based lesson. It's one thing to want my feet to not blister, and another for them to blister, callus, shed the callus and return to normal, and for them to somehow "know" not to blister despite the same, if not worse, punishment. Similarly, it is one thing to tell myself to overcome physical discomfort or to tell myself to be calm in an exposed situation, but it is another for my brain to switch off to the discomfort or become focused on my movement, and return to a relatively normal state of being/feeling/thinking in these somewhat trying and extreme situations. Seemingly, it is a lesson that only experience can teach me.