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The time has come for another summer adventure - and Brew and I are so excited! I thought I would share a list of what I am looking forward to as we return to the trail.

First, however, I will include a short list of what I will miss while we are away:

1. My 20-month old niece. She is perfect. I am not biased.

2. The Bachelorette. I am really cheering for Emily to find a good guy this season. I like Sean, but Brew prefers Jef. Thankfully we can keep up with the episodes at realitysteve.com. His blog is better than watching the shows. He is to The Bachelor Franchise what Bill Simmons is to NBA Basketball (By the way, we are cheering for OKC in the finals.)

Now, for the top five (there are more) reasons I can’t wait to start hiking.

1. THERAPY! This spring has been a very difficult and sad season. There have certainly been some highlights, but I have been extra emotional, tired, and confused. (Poor Brew, he thought he had it bad last summer.) The trail is the best (and cheapest) counselor that I know. There is nothing that a long walk can’t work out, and I am hoping that 550-mile GR 11 will give me the perspective and peace that I lost sight of this spring.

2. TIME WITH BREW. If you followed our adventure last summer, then you realize I have a pretty incredible husband. And as wonderful as it is trying to be a full-time professional hiker, I unfortunately have to travel a lot to give workshops and talks - and that means time away from home and my husband. However, I think he was thankful for the quiet house because he spent every spare second he wasn’t teaching working on lesson plans. God bless teachers - they certainly earn their summer vacations. There is no one I would rather spend every minute with for the next two months than Brew - and there is no one else who would sign-up for the job.

3. BEING IN NATURE. Our tent is our summer home. Pulling out some of our camping items, I even started to tear up from the musty smell of much loved gear (in case it is unclear, the tears were caused by nostalgia not hiker stench). There is something very familiar and simple about living in the trail. I am looking forward to going to bed with the sun, worrying only about food, water, and shelter, and appreciating the sun, rain, wind, wildflowers, and animals that line the path. We may be hiking in a foreign country, but the language of the trail is the same.

4. EXPLORATION. Last summer I spent 46 days on a trail that I had already hiked twice before. I truly believe that you never hike the same trial twice, and last summer I explored my human limits. This summer, I am excited to explore a new mountain range, in a new part of the world. I don’t have many expectations except to take it one step and one day at a time. It seems that no matter how fast, or slow, I travel down the trail the pace is always more natural than anything I experience in my day to day life at home.

5. NOT TALKING. My job consists of giving presentations, writing, and communicating with other people on hikes and in workshops. More than ever this summer, I need to be still and listen. I wouldn’t have much to say, unless I took the time to hear what the trail had to tell me. And on that note, it is time to sign-off. We will send updates when possible. Thanks for following along!

PS - Happy Father’s Day to our two wonderful dads!