Category: Uncategorized
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The Rules of the Bear Game
May 16, 2021 By Mary Anderson First, figure out if it is a black bear or a grizzly. Make sure not to make eye contact. While it is charging you, look at its ears and face. Are the ears back, or up and forward? This will help your terrified brain decide if it is in…
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Chainsaw Mama
May 15 2021 By Mary Anderson Chainsaw Mama on tele skis I am heading down to visit my son before I set out on my hike. He will help me get my phone and electronics in shape for the trip. I will do some chainsaw work for him. People always ask me, “What does your…
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Bravery
May 14 2021 By Mary Anderson Self-doubt: Most writers face it. In fact, most humans face it. – I am not good enough. – What will people think of me? – Now they will see how stupid I am. – They are so much better than I am. The list could go on and on.…
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Surprises
May 13, 2021 By Mary Anderson Talk about surprises. What is that doing in the desert? I have changed plans for my upcoming hike at least five times. I’ve had to take into account the best season to cross the Wyoming desert, the high snowpack in Montana—which, as of this writing is still over ten…
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Finding My Way
May 12 2021 By Mary Anderson I am surrounded by maps these days. Maps of rivers and mountains, desert and forest. They are taking over my bed. Large ones weighing over half a pound. Smaller, one page ones delineating a route I might be able to take while I make my way on the CDT.…
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Gratitude
May 11, 2021 By Mary Anderson Despite the difficulties in my life which spurred me on to hike the CDT, I am well aware that I am surrounded by blessings. Having the time and means to hike is a luxury. And I am grateful to Korongo Books and all of you who have helped to…
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Food for Heart and Soul
May 21, 2021 By Mary Anderson Food waiting to go into mail drops. As I prepare much of the food I will eat for the next four months of my life I think about all sorts of things. Despite the difficult life place I am currently in, I am so blessed to have an abundance…
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How Dissociation Is Like Ice Cream
By Mary Anderson Many people refer to different aspects of themselves as parts: “Some part of me didn’t want to do that,” for example. Yet how different this is from my dissociative parts. In trying to explain the difference between the parts that we all seem to have inside of us and the parts that…
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Old vs. New
May 8 2021 By Mary Anderson I was looking at the bottoms of my hiking boots from last summer’s 1500 mile hike to see if I really needed new ones. I compared them to a new pair in the store. Yep. It was pretty obvious. The old ones did not have another 1500 miles left…
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Writing and Life
April 30, 2021 By Mary Anderson Today is another day when I have been thinking about the confluence of writing and life. I have been all over the map emotionally, swinging from fear, pain and disconnect, to love, connection and power. I thought of how a wise writer told me to write it all down…
The Mary Badass 