Thank you and shoutout to Katlyn Marchbanks for allowing me to share this digital single line drawing she created. A fellow runner and artist, she wrote, “I find your adventures inspiring. So I drew a picture.” Check out more of her artwork on her Instagram here. ~ For so long the future has seemed limitless andContinue reading “It’s Not What You Do, but Who You Are”
Category Archives: Life
It’s That Simple
“When I get home, I’m going through my closet and getting rid of everything. I have so much clothing and things I don’t need.” I had paused outside of the little shop at Abol Bridge to say hello to several thru-hikers I’d met in the 100 Mile Wilderness of Maine. They had begun their hikes in GeorgiaContinue reading “It’s That Simple”
Landing on my Feet
It’s funny how I blow up certain fears in my head leading up to a big event. It’s as if I can imagine all the things that go wrong, I can somehow prevent myself from being surprised or control the outcome. The things I felt afraid of going into the Long Trail ended up beingContinue reading “Landing on my Feet”
A Little Glimmer
The other day I was driving along the Portland waterfront with a friend when we a saw a flock of 20-something-year-olds trot by in a group run. It was like something out of a commercial. They all looked so cheery, chipper, and bright-eyed. We couldn’t help but be at least a little amused. “Aww lookContinue reading “A Little Glimmer”
The Spaces We Fill
When we have a blank canvas in front of us, the tendency is to fill it up with colors, lines, textures… anything to make the space feel beautiful, meaningful, or well, just to put something there. For the first time in a long time, my future is suddenly a wide open space. It’s as if forContinue reading “The Spaces We Fill”
I Would Do Anything for Love
How do you know when it’s time to pull the plug? What is it that you’re holding onto when you make the choice to keep going? What exactly are you fighting for? Why does it matter to you? These are the questions I was grappling with while running the Kettle Moraine 100 this past weekend, but theContinue reading “I Would Do Anything for Love”
Looking Within
As I tend to do, I’ve been dreaming up possibilities for the future. I feel physically recovered from the Appalachian Trail, though the emotional aftermath still comes and goes like aftershocks following an earthquake. I’ve run 60ish miles per week for the past 14 weeks with more vertical feet than I’ve ever covered outside of the AT.Continue reading “Looking Within”
Growing Pains
The hardest part about hiking the entire Appalachian Trail wasn’t hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. It was the “before” and “after”. After doing things more or less the same for most of my adult life, and being content in doing so, I preemptively put the AT on my calendar for the summer of 2020 aboutContinue reading “Growing Pains”
Look at the Bigger Picture
On my 38th day on the Appalachian Trail after setting off at 4:00am with aching, blistered feet, I walked through the lush forest of the Green Mountains in Vermont as the sun rose. I tried to wrap my head around the gigantic task that lay ahead in completing nearly 50 miles before midnight, and per my unintendedContinue reading “Look at the Bigger Picture”
A Quiet December
This December has been a quiet one, filled with a lot of reminiscing about this summer and processing all of it. I knew as soon as I finished the Appalachian Trail, the next thing I wanted to do was to write a book about it. I think it’s important to have an account of whatContinue reading “A Quiet December”
Mercury on the Run 