On Tuesday night, I updated my tracking log where I mark which Smoky Mountain trails I have completed as part of my journey to hike them all. I have just over 200 miles left to go and close to 600 miles finished. I haven’t been the greatest about documenting each of the trips up to … More Trail Song 1: Wet Bottom, Cooper Road, Beard Cane, & Ace Gap Trails (16.3 miles)
“That morning, my understanding of listening expanded and I was reshaped yet again. It sounds simple and obvious but it takes time to listen; time for the deeper things to show themselves. Just as we can’t see all the phases of the moon on any one night, we can’t hear the phases of truth or … More An Everglades Return
We weren’t the same people when we finally met again. The distance, the stillness had changed us. It was good to see you calm and coming back to life. I knew you needed a break from the constant social pressure, regardless of how much I ached to say. When we met again, it was indeed … More Dear Smoky Mountains—
I walked up to the front door of the little country house, breathing in the calm of the surrounding farmland and mountains. Thirty minutes prior I’d been in the bustling little city of Asheville, my latest hometown, cars zipping down Merrimon Avenue with little respect for life. Arriving here felt like home. I knocked on … More Stories Around the Table
A salty tear slips from my cheek and drops to find its long-lost home back in the salty sea. A wave pummels its way up the sandy shore and knocks me in the legs. I stumble and splash—and I laugh. And that laughter, this sudden sensation of joy then melts into a softened heart. “This, … More Ocean Meditation
I stood anxiously with the others. We all waited, silently, many staring down at bright little screens, to board the long elevator down to the metro. None of us looked at each other, and the man with the sign didn’t look at us either. He didn’t call out, forcing us to acknowledge his existence, pushing … More Angels in “The Swamp”
During our junior year of college, my roommate, Tiffany, made a short film for her digital arts class as a first attempt at video editing. Knowing my penchant for acting foolish, she asked me to be in it. The film was titled, “…It Was Okay,” and chronicled two women’s very different days—one terrible and one … More The Secrets of Returning
I don’t know how to start writing about you, so I thought I’d break the writer’s block by writing to you. After six nights and seven days spent within the depths of you, I left a piece of my heart behind in your waters. It’s hard to explain to others what this is, and it’s … More Dear Everglades—
As I’ve tumbled madly into love with the wilderness, I’ve found it concurrently driving my want to do more writing. Back in November, I cofounded a women’s outdoor group called Wild Wilderness Women, and this winter we took a weekend trip out to rural Maryland to do some cross-country skiing. The experience tied together many … More What Makes Us Wild: Cofounding a Women’s Wilderness Group
In January, I attended the Martin Luther King, Jr. joint Shabbat service of Sixth & I Synagogue and Turner Memorial AME Church. During his sermon, Turner Memorial’s pastor remarked, “There is faith and there is fear, and they both require belief.” I remember my mom taking me to the airport once and saying with the … More Woman Solo: An Everglades Love Story
ROUGH OUTLINES 