The Mary Badass

I’m on the road to my next backpacking adventure having trouble knowing what to write. I’ve thought of posting a number of times in these few months between finishing the Florida Trail and setting out to complete the Pacific Northwest Trail but I’ve had trouble connecting to the writer within. It was as if some…

People keep asking me what my next adventure will be. While I understand what they’re asking, I’m trying to take on the mindset that everything in life is an adventure. It is easy for me to fall into a funk when a long planned and executed event is over. While there are many reasons for…

I was in no big rush to get going on what would be my final day on the Florida Trail. I only had eight miles to go and knew it would be a quick, easy walk. While I waited for Steve to show signs of being awake, I looked at maps to figure out my…

Debbie Hazen and Tommie Gipson continued to shuttle me all the way through Eglin Air Force Base and onto Santa Rosa Island, which is where one version of the Florida trail ends. Hikers have a choice to end on the beach or to head north and end where Florida and Alabama meet. I was not…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…