The Mary Badass

By Mary Anderson I am making the last preparations before I leave home. I have the van mostly packed. My food boxes are ready to go out. My pack awaits a few last-minute items but is otherwise ready for adventure. I’ve got food to eat while driving across country. I even have my dishes done.…

May 21, 2021 By Mary Anderson As far back as I can remember, I have lived with dissociation that comes with post-traumatic stress. In my early childhood, to survive severe abuse I created separate places in my being where certain experiences lived, walled off from the rest of myself and not able to interact with…

May 20, 2021 By Mary Anderson Mary at a river crossing in New York State. Cross as early in the morning as possible, so the water will be lower, due to cooler night temps slowing down the snow melt. This will ensure you are half asleep when you hit the icy water. Try to assess…

May 19, 2021 By Mary Anderson When I write poetry I feel that every word counts in a way it does not when I write prose. It’s kind of like how every ounce matters in my pack these days. Certainly I weighed everything last year and even cut the handle of my toothbrush shorter. But…

May 18, 2021 By Mary Anderson So yesterday I wrote about cutting down on weight. Today it is about balance. I’m working on finding the balance between what I keep in my pack and what gets left behind—just like when I strive to find the balance in my writing between what gets left in and…

May 17, 2021 By Mary Anderson Settling in for the night in the Chihuahuan Desert. It is not the mice or bear that sometimes make me restless at night. It is all the stuff inside my sleeping bag. I can’t let my water filter freeze, so I throw it into the foot of my sleeping…

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…

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…

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.…

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…