Liv with the nature memorial she made in honor of her parents on our 2026 Young Adult Backpacking Trip.
April 5, 2023 my parents died in a small plane crash. It was good Friday. A full moon shone that night. My parents died in a plane crash over the sea. I lost both my parents at the start of my adult life. April 20, 2022 was the day of my college graduation, and April 20, 2023 was the day of their funeral.
Liv and her mom.
Liv and her dad.
I didn’t just lose my parents that day, in the wake of their death, my siblings pushed me away, they lied and stole. I knew we needed to come together, but the family my parents built fell apart. Friends I have known for years stopped reaching out.
As time passed, I retreated into myself. I dedicated my life to healing and honoring my experience. This way of being has come with intense solitude, and even in loneliness I never stopped believing in healing connection.
In April of this year, my sister-in-law sent me a photo of a Wild Grief flyer. I decided I would apply for the Young Adult Backpacking trip. In August, I was on my way to Olympia to meet the people I would be journeying with along the Quinault River Trail. I was excited for the trip, and upon arrival I knew I was in good hands.
Liv and the other backpackers and guides about to hop in the van and head to North Fork Quinault River.
The people who run Wild Grief are so thoughtful and caring. Everything one needs to go backpacking is taken care of; from the food to equipment, to feeling safe and knowing what comes next. There is help every step of the way. People with heavy hearts show up, and there’s space and support, enough to heal, maybe for the first time in a long while. A healing space is created because people volunteer their time. Isn’t that wonderful?
Once we packed our backpacks, we all introduced ourselves. In that circle of people, I felt that my long-time dream of being with people came true. Perfect strangers become friends so easily. I believe it is because of the deep knowing we share, that grief is a heavy burden, and there in that circle we were no longer alone.
Liv and the other young adult backpackers at the trailhead.
As we walked through the woods, we would share silence and stories. Mealtimes were my favorite, because we all sat together and talked about anything and everything. That is friendship I had been missing, and I soaked in every moment.
Mac n Cheese dinner on the trail!
Wild Grief provides a catalyst for healing. Where hearts can grieve and be led to peace. My life has taught me that grief and gratitude are on two sides of the same scale. Where we are weighed down by grief, we need ways to lighten the load by being grateful for life again. Wild Grief opens the door to many opportunities to be thankful. A walk in the woods. A laugh shared with a perfect stranger. A cry. A look of understanding. These are all ways the scales balance, and we can move forward with open hearts. Too often the hurt of grief weighs people down, closing their heart to gratitude for good. We need open hearts to heal our world. Wild Grief is leading the charge in keeping hearts healing and grateful.
Thank you for reading, take care.
-Liv
Backpackers on a bridge in Olympic National Park.