Aspen Matis:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, a freshman at Colorado College in 2008 when she was raped by a fellow student in her dorm room. After the school determined that her report about the incident was ‘inconclusive’, Aspen dropped out, and set off to conquer the Pacific Crest Trail, the same route traveled by Cheryl Strayed in her memoir Wild. And, just like Cheryl, Aspen documented her journey too, in her debut book, Girl in the Woods.
We spent June and July in the Rockies, growing stronger, feeling feral in the untamed range of mountains.
– “June and July in the Rockies”
— the speaker spent the summer months in the Rocky Mountains.
– “Growing stronger”:
— physically stronger from hiking, climbing, camping, or living outdoors; also possibly emotionally stronger.
– “Feeling feral”:
— feeling wild, free, instinctive, and less tied to civilized routines.
– “Untamed range of mountains”:
— the Rockies are described as rugged, wild, and not fully controlled by humans.
🌲 Overall sense:
The quote expresses a feeling of ‘freedom, wilderness, self-reliance, and transformation’. It suggests that being in the mountains made the people feel more alive, strong, and connected to nature.
📚 Origin:
This is ‘not an old proverb or traditional saying’.
It reads like a line from modern memoir/nature writing.
It is commonly associated with Aspen Matis, especially in connection with her wilderness memoir writing.
✍️ Author: Aspen Matis
– American memoirist and nature writer.
– Best known for “Girl in the Woods: A Memoir”.
– Her work often deals with wilderness, healing, strength, trauma, and self-discovery.
