Meet Audrey Payne | Writer and Hiking Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Payne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
About 10 years ago, I was dealing with a horrible spine injury. I had herniated a disc during a group exercise class and it made even the most mundane activities, like sitting at my desk at work, riding the metro, and walking down the street painful. I read a lot during that time, and I picked up a copy of Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” about hiking the Appalachian Trail. The idea of thru-hiking the trail from Georgia to Maine latched on in my brain, and I promised myself if I was ever healthy enough again to do it, then I would. Fast forward a few years later, after a spinal fusion surgery and long, painful recovery, and the idea still had not gone away. I desperately wanted to hike the trail, but in that time I had landed my dream job working for World Wildlife Fund on their communications team. After mulling it over and mulling it over and mulling it over, I made the difficult decision to leave that job after just a couple of years, even though I loved it, because the trail was calling me so strongly. It was scary and anxiety-inducing, but I decided it was time and I needed to take the leap and have a great adventure after several tough years of dealing with and recovering from the injury.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always loved to write and tell stories, and my mom, Penny, has been telling me to write a book for at least two decades. I have blogged on and off for several years, and write quite a bit for my day job, but I wasn’t sure I had the attention span to write an entire book. I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine back in 2018, and had thought afterward that I would like to memorialize the experience through a memoir. I first tried to write it in 2019, just a few months after finishing the trail. But the hike, which took six months, had meant so much to me that I found myself grieving the end of it for several months afterward, and I felt I could not move forward with the book. Fast forward to almost exactly five years after finishing my hike at Mount Katahdin, and the inspiration to pick the project back up suddenly hit me. I started writing, and did not stop, until I had finished the book. It’s all I did outside of work. I would start writing at 4:00 pm, and wouldn’t stop until midnight, when I would have to force myself to go to bed. And even while I was at work, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I’d constantly think of things I wanted to word in a certain way, or change, or add. Because I was so inspired, writing the entire 90,000-word book took just a week and a half. Editing it took much longer, but the writing, in the right time and space, was extremely easy. It was kind of wonderful. What I took from that was, if a project feels too difficult, perhaps it’s simply not the right time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a Boulder gal, and really outdoorsy, so I would take her around to the best Boulder spots and some in the mountains too. I’d have her come visit during the summer so we could enjoy the mountains snow-free. I’d take her for a stroll down the Pearl Street mall, where we’d do some shopping and pop into Mountain Sun for lunch. Lucile’s Creole Cafe would be a must for brunch. And we’d visit my favorite taco join – T/aco for dinner. Boulder has some incredible bike paths, so we would bike over to Sanitas Brewery for beers and catch some trivia. And we’d visit some of my favorite nearby hiking trails, including Lake Isabelle, Mills Lake, and Mt. Sanitas. We’d also go up to the mountains for a concert at Dillon Amphitheatre and go stand up paddleboarding on Lake Dillon. And finally, we’d ride the Carousel of Happiness up in Nederland, which was hand-carved by a Vietnam War veteran. I find the carousel endlessly charming and I take all of my guests there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout the three earliest readers of my Appalachian Trail memoir, “Where the Rhododendrons Bloom,” who generously offered their time and energy to not just read my book, but also offer edits and feedback as well. These readers, who also happen to be some of my oldest and dearest friends, are Cassidy Glover, Tia Pedretti, and Corey Danvir.

Website: audrey-adventures.com

Instagram: instagram.com/audipayne

Twitter: https://twitter.com/audipayne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audipayne/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AudreyAdventures

Other: Find my Appalachian Trail memoir, “Where the Rhododendrons Bloom,” on Amazon and Kindle: https://amazon.com/author/audreypayne.

Image Credits
Audrey Payne