Episode Details

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by acclaimed author, marriage therapist, and speaker, Michele Weiner-Davis, known in my household simply as "mom".

Being our Valentine's Day episode, this one is meant to equip you with the knowledge necessary to make your relationship flourish. We cover a range of questions, both general tips on how to improve your relationships, but also thru-hiking specific scenarios, including how to navigate when one partner is on the trail and the other is back home, encountering challenges when hiking together, and how to get buy in from nervous parents (a subject in which my mother is overqualified to speak on). Chaunce also attempts to get Badger to blush by asking embarrassing questions about his past.

We wrap the show with some sobering news about how listeners can help a past guest in her fight against cancer; Chaunce and her fiance, Garrett, air out their pettiest fights; and we search for the perfect word for that post-massive dump feeling.

LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek.

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Interview with Michele Weiner-Davis

• Michele's Website

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:15 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!

00:09:00 - Introducing Michele

00:09:50 - What are you most proud of professionally?

00:12:15 - What's the crossover between saving marriages and raising children?

00:13:27 - How does your work influence your own marriage?

00:14:35 - What is it like being mother to Zach Davis?

00:16:10 - What's the dumbest thing you've ever seen Zach do?

00:19:22 - Describe why Zach is called the feral child

00:21:28 - What is something about Zach you don't think the listeners would know?

00:22:45 - What was your advice to Zach when he was engaged and about to hike the PCT?

00:24:48 - How did you get into this work in the first place?

00:29:30 - In what other ways is your angle different from the average therapist?

00:31:00 - Should marriages always be saved?

00:33:18 - Where are the key areas where relationships go wrong?

00:36:50 - How can someone hiking make their partner at home feel valued?

00:43:50 - Discussion about parents reacting to their children's thru-hikes

00:47:30 - How long did it take you to feel comfortable with Zach being on the AT?

00:49:00 - How would you handle a situation where the person at home feels jealous?

00:54:25 - "I love hiking but my wife doesn't. She's short (under 5ft) so how big a backpack would I need to kidnap, I mean, carry her in? Seriously she hates camping and nothing I've tried works. We've been married for almost thirty years. Any suggestions?"

00:55:25 - "If a marriage is already rocky, do you think that sharing a thru-hike is more likely or less likely to help fix a relationship?"

00:58:38 - "So I'm single and not only am I getting into long distance backpacking but I also work in film where we could be hired for a project that has us traveling for months at a time within a week of being hired. I often find myself hesitant to get into a relationship with someone who has a more stable 9-5 lifestyle. How can I approach the initial conversation to set expect