--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On my hike my brain was left to wander…" description: "\"On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often maddening because it was tedious and monotonous sometimes, but then my the mind would take over,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg" --- # On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often… ![“On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often maddening because it was tedious and monotonous sometimes, but then my the mind would take over, and that's when I'd start hearing the music in my head or thinking deeply about people I know or things that I didn't even know I remembered…” quote by Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg) > “On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often maddening because it was tedious and monotonous sometimes, but then my the mind would take over, and that's when I'd start hearing the music in my head or thinking deeply about people I know or things that I didn't even know I remembered anymore. Those thoughts would be there. I wouldn't have had them otherwise.” [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. During a hike, the mind drifts into music and deep thoughts, providing unexpected insight and memory recall. **In simple terms:** Wandering thoughts can spark creativity and recollection. Key Takeaway Embrace mental wandering for inspiration. Themes nature mindfulness creativity Mood contemplative inspired Type memoir reflective When to use this quote - long walks - solo travel - creative writing sessions Key Concepts memory music self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you capture fleeting insights? - When does wandering become unproductive? A Different Perspective Wandering can also lead to distraction or anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Hike Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hike-brain-5260444/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Monotonous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monotonous/) [Monotonous Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monotonous-mind-4192323/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Tedious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tedious/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking deeply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-deeply/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Thoughts Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-wouldn-1125155/) [Wander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wander/) [Wander Maddening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wander-maddening-5260445/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Being a mother is a little like 'Groundhog's Day.' It's getting out of bed and doing the exact same things again and again and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/being-a-mother-is-a-little-like-groundhog-s-day-it-s-getting-out-of/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“As far as she could see, the nuns must be full of impure thoughts or else they wouldn’t be so sure everyone else had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/as-far-as-she-could-see-the-nuns-must-be-full-of-impure-thoughts-or/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [But a big paradigm shift is staring us in the face. If I left things to someone else despite having my own thoughts on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/but-a-big-paradigm-shift-is-staring-us-in-the-face-if-i-left-things/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [One thing any backpacker will tell you is that it's tedious and monotonous. You're bored sometimes, so you really have to make the fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/one-thing-any-backpacker-will-tell-you-is-that-it-s-tedious-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Prayer is thinking deeply about something in the presence of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-cordeiro/prayer-is-thinking-deeply-about-something-in-the-presence-of-god/) [Wayne Cordeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-cordeiro/) > [“The theory of serendipitous creativity, in other words, seems well justified by the historical record. The transistor, we can argue with some confidence, probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-theory-of-serendipitous-creativity-in-other-words-seems-well/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Art is the one place we all turn to for solace. We turn to it constantly, whether you are listening to music, or pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/art-is-the-one-place-we-all-turn-to-for-solace-we-turn-to-it/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [The very quality of books to read and facts to master with which the twentieth-century man is confronted encourages him to think broadly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/the-very-quality-of-books-to-read-and-facts-to-master-with-which-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [When a GUY is quiet, Millions of things are running in his mind When a GUY is not arguing, He is thinking deeply When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/when-a-guy-is-quiet-millions-of-things-are-running-in-his-mind-when-a/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [I often say that I want to write like Tupac rapped. I could listen to his album, and within a few minutes, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/i-often-say-that-i-want-to-write-like-tupac-rapped-i-could-listen-to/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [If you begin thinking of how deeply you love somebody it may not be the same feeling that person is having towards you ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diwakar-dutt/if-you-begin-thinking-of-how-deeply-you-love-somebody-it-may-not-be/) [Diwakar Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diwakar-dutt/) > [“Alloy language and its analysis are a Trojan horse: an attempt to capture the attention of software developers, who are mired in the tar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-jackson/alloy-language-and-its-analysis-are-a-trojan-horse-an-attempt-to/) [Daniel Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-jackson/) > [Since the only way you are going to find solutions to painful problems is by thinking deeply about them - i.e., reflecting - if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/since-the-only-way-you-are-going-to-find-solutions-to-painful/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [When a girl is quite, million of things are running in her mind. When a girl is not arguing, she is thinking deeply. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/when-a-girl-is-quite-million-of-things-are-running-in-her-mind-when-a/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [It's interesting to look at all the aspects where everyday Americans, many of whom are not college educated, are thinking deeply now about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-interesting-to-look-at-all-the-aspects-where-everyday-americans/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More by Cheryl Strayed > [“She understands that attention is the first and final act of love, and that the ultimate dwindling resource in the human arrangement isn’t cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/she-understands-that-attention-is-the-first-and-final-act-of-love-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Of course you want someone special to love you. A majority of the people who write to me inquire about how they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/of-course-you-want-someone-special-to-love-you-a-majority-of-the/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [My whole life sort of ended when my mom died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-whole-life-sort-of-ended-when-my-mom-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/and-you-have-to-do-it-no-matter-what-is-true-no-matter-what-is-hard/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Don’t listen to those people who suggest you should be “over” your daughter’s death by now. The people who squawk the loudest about such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/don-t-listen-to-those-people-who-suggest-you-should-be-over-your/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“. . . there was the actual doing it, quickly followed by the grim realization of what it meant to do it, followed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/there-was-the-actual-doing-it-quickly-followed-by-the-grim/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The sky didn't wonder where it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-sky-didn-t-wonder-where-it-was/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Love is our essential nutrient. Without it, life has little meaning. It's the best thing we have to give and the most valuable thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/love-is-our-essential-nutrient-without-it-life-has-little-meaning-it/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“I never believed the boys were angry. I believed they were hurt and anger was the safest manifestation of their sorrow. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-never-believed-the-boys-were-angry-i-believed-they-were-hurt-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“It’s wrong that this is required of you. It’s wrong that your son died. It will always be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-wrong-that-this-is-required-of-you-it-s-wrong-that-your-son-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Your ultimatum is simple. It’s fair. And it’s stating your own intentions, not what you hope theirs will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/your-ultimatum-is-simple-it-s-fair-and-it-s-stating-your-own/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“We aren't poor," my mother said, again and again. "Because we're rich in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/we-aren-t-poor-my-mother-said-again-and-again-because-we-re-rich-in/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) [Explore all 450 Cheryl Strayed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often maddening because it was tedious and monotonous sometimes, but then my the mind would take over, and that's when I'd start hearing the music in my head or thinking deeply about people I know or things that I didn't even know I remembered anymore. Those thoughts would be there. I wouldn't have had them otherwise.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cheryl Strayed" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-that-was-often-maddening/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-that-was-often-maddening/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/cheryl-strayed-605_brain_on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-t_2270559.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On my hike my brain was left to wander. That was often maddening because it was tedious and monotonous…” — Cheryl Strayed", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cheryl Strayed", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "On my hike my brain was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-that-was-often-maddening/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/on-my-hike-my-brain-was-left-to-wander-that-was-often-maddening/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```