Book

Finding My Way Home: Fighting Depression Backpacking in Central Florida

After losing more than 100 pounds, I decided to try backpacking at a state park near my Central Florida home, despite having not camped since adolescence. When the recurrence of severe depression forced me to take a medical sabbatical, I discovered that backpacking in the Central Florida wilderness helped me cope with my inner demons; it also fostered a love affair with the natural spaces near my home. In Finding My Way Home, I detail the adventure of learning to solo backpack in local state parks and forests, including Lake Louisa State Park, Myakka River State Park, Lake Kissimmee State Park, the Withlacoochee State Forest, and the Green Swamp. I also describe in vivid and at times frightening detail my struggles to cope with bouts of melancholy and intermittent explosive disorder.

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“Sprinkling outdoor advice in with his recollections and personal musings, Rogers offers readers an alternative way to cope with life’s ups and downs—a beautiful, open-air answer to the problems that can complicate everyday existence.

The strongest part of Rogers’s writing is in his raw honesty regarding his emotions and moods; he balances an almost-compulsive devotion to nature with realistic responses to the conflicts that come when interacting with others, emerging on the other side with a curiosity and hopeful expectation of the future. The areas he hikes come alive, unfolding through candid descriptions and personal photographs that transport readers directly into his journey.”

Critic’s Report, The BookLife Prize

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Walmart, ThriftBooks, AbeBooks, and the Sunshine Book Co. in Clermont, Fla.