I came back to walk By Leon LaVigne


I came back to walk along these trails, the adventures of my youth.


I came back to walk along these trails to find, my lost truth.


I came back to walk along these trails, a refuge from the cannon’s killing roar.


I came back to walk to walk along these trails to, my soul, heal from so long a war.


Backpacking on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in Colorado


 it a customized recumbent bike for the journey.


As Gobin himself points out,


returning soldiers have a variety of injuries, not just from combat or IEDs, but also back and leg injuries that are less obvious and can be the result of everyday work as a soldier. For Gobin, and Warrior Expeditions, it was impor- tant to take into account all possibilities when creating these opportunities for returning soldiers.   incredibly positive. Two expert researchers, Dr. Shauna Joye and Dr.   these journeys to the vets who under- take them. The results were astound- ing, sleep quality went measurably up, while anxiety, depression, and other negative feelings went measurably down.


The program was shown to help vets feel supported and maintain a sense of community by connecting them to others in the program, as well as serving as a great tool towards grad- ual reentry into civilian life, allowing  well as socializing. Gobin and Warrior Expeditions have successfully taken the spirit of  when he declared he was going to  opportunity to those who, for either


 would otherwise never be able to undertake it. Trails have been used as therapy for as long as trails have existed, and by thinking outside of the box and incorporating multiple kinds of trails and maintaining an adaptable philoso- phy, Warrior Expeditions is now able to help forty veterans a year take time out  their way home.


Learn more about Warrior Expeditions at https://warriorexpeditions.org.


I came back to walk along these trails to find, again, my healing place.


I came back to walk along these trails to, again, join the human race.


I came back to walk along these trails to, from my heart, end this pain.


I came back to walk along these trails to calm my fears and ease my mind, again.


I came back to walk along these trails to find my healing place.


I came back to walk along these trails…..to heal.


Leon LaVigne is the Program Lead for Trails and Dispersed Recreation for the U.S. Forest Service Eastern Region


Camping on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in Wyoming 23


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