I’ve mentioned a number of times how I have worked to lean into difficult situations and cultivate curiosity about what new things will come my way as a result of change. I have shared in other posts how hiking the Florida Trail with a broken foot opened a door for me to meet many people

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I think almost every thru hiker, especially if they have more than one long trail under their feet, have moments of wondering why they continue on. There are days of inclement weather when it is physically painful to be outside. Sometimes rocky, wet or scary trail conditions make hikers wonder why they’re bothering. Loneliness is

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I found myself thinking about change as I walked along the ever-changing Florida Trail. I’ve walked through a variety of ecosystems including cypress swamps, titi swamps, palm forests, dry sandy pine forests and prairies. When I started the Florida Trail in January, even though it didn’t feel like winter to me, it WAS the heart

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As I’ve been hiking the Florida Trail with a broken foot, I’ve been thinking a lot about protection. At first I needed to protect my foot in an orthopedic boot and use crutches. After about 400 miles of wearing the orthopedic boot, it seemed any benefit I it was giving was no longer worth the

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Thinking about gift economies got me remembering how I struggled with feelings of scarcity for much of my life. Years ago I learned these feelings came from childhood experiences, and I worked to repair them. Unfortunately, they came flooding back with a vengeance when my husband walked out leaving seven dollars in our bank account.

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It might seem strange, but hiking the Florida Trail with a broken foot has led me to think about capitalism versus gift economies. Traditional capitalism relies on scarcity. If something is scarce it has value and people will pay to buy it. As a result, it benefits some people to hoard resources or even to

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