I drove to the first trailhead of the Lone Star Hiking Trail the night before I planned to begin. My goal, get an early start and find my hiking pace. Never before had I attempted a thru-hike but here I was, encompassed by darkness, planning the next morning to do that very thing. This was…
Category: Adventures
Shuffling through Cities
“Turn around,” my mother expressed with sorrow in her voice. I didn’t understand. Why was she being so serious while trying to take a photo of me? I never stand still during photos and often make silly faces but she was becoming upset. Then she said it, “Is this really what you want the police…
Winter Shakedown
It’s time for a shakedown! With only a little over a month before I leave to Delaware, I have gear I need to break in and break down to see just how tough it all really is. First order of business, a bivy shakedown. North eastern Colorado received its first snowfall for the coming winter…
The Call
832 miles after I left Seattle, Washington, I find myself in Salt Lake City, Utah. Excitement was rising within me before I had even made it to Idaho. I was driving towards the mountains, the sunshine, and the city that ignited my spirit less than a year ago. I was flooded with intense, vibrant emotions…
Open Hearts
The pressure behind my eyes has caused a constant headache. The phlegm in my throat has negated my ability to speak. The overall ache in my body has left me lethargic. I have been sick and that is a very poor thing to be when traveling alone. The thought itself makes me tremble: seemingly wasting…
Celebration of Life
My time in Yosemite has come to an end but with every end comes a new beginning, a new understanding, and a new opportunity for growth. My time now will be spent traveling north to visit family and friends. Before I left Yosemite I received the news that a previous coworker and friend had died…
Learning to Fly
“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling what if you fly?” -Erin Hansen I came to Yosemite without having climbed more than one pitch (one rope length, 60 or 70 meters), without the knowledge of traditional and aid climbing gear, and without the techniques used in crack climbing. What I am doing now, a…
Constrictions of Fear
Up until a few days ago, I began to forget my reasons behind Dancing with the Dirt. It wasn’t until a high school friend reached out to me for advice did I remember the bigger picture of my journey: self-exploration, internal to external, by means of travelling alone (specifically building self-efficacy and learning to accept…
Floaters
This past week in Yosemite has felt more like home than anything has in a while. The Camp 4 community is supportive, generous, and ever welcoming. The friends and acquaintances I am making are from all around the globe and I am appreciating my time with each new friend. I know that I have a…
Friends on Foot
In Camp 4 you meet tons of new people and the majority of them are extremely friendly. This is how Jamie and I met our friend Ofek. We ran into him at the market and water filling station and then decided to have a real conversation with him when we saw him at his campsite….