How my journey began

Quite obviously I love to hike and be outside.

Growing up my family always hiked, went on walks, bike rides, picnics, park dates, but I never realized I needed it so much until adulthood.

As a college freshman I dived into a few local Utah hikes that I had done as a kid already (Bridal Veil Falls, Stewart Falls, Timpanogos Falls, Timpanogos itself) and enjoyed them, but I didn’t feel the ‘pull’ to be outside as much. I did escape into the mountains when I was sad, bored, lonely, angry, but not like I do now. After that first year of college at UVU Dave was in Alaska, I had few friends, I felt no purpose, I was an outsider living in Utah County amongst people who were not the kind of folk I wanted to be around. So I decided to move to Oklahoma and be closer to my best friends and try something new where I felt I could fit in better. There were pros and cons to this, and eventually the ‘pull’ that I had not recognized before became overwhelming enough to want to move back to Utah 18 months later.

Dave, Kenai and I U-hauled our way back to Utah to start anew (again). And that’s the year that I really fell in love with the mountains. It was both to become independent personally, but also to get my new young pup some exercise and show him what the world looked like.

I began hiking every Friday. We explored trails all over the Wasatch: Salt Lake City, American Fork, Provo, Lehi, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights. The first trail I hiked with Kenai was Rattlesnake Gulch in Millcreek Canyon on April 17th-my birthday. I was so happy during the hike and afterwards I couldn’t imagine having to go back to reality of college or work!

Ever since then, I have made it my goal to get outside at least once per week, usually on Fridays. It was my escape from stress, my relief from anxiety, my revival after a depressing week, but it was also the very activity that projected my happiness and livelihood for the better.

I feel like my true self when I am surrounded by trees or mountain tops, alone with the sunshine touching my skin. I feel ALIVE when I hear rivers roaring next to me, watch wildflowers swaying in the wind along a ridgeline, even when I hear the sound of me trying to catch my own breath! I’m not even trying to be poetic, nature is literally in my blood now. And even better, I usually share these moments with my ‘soul dog’ and soak up every moment I have in this life with him.

I can’t imagine a life without the outdoors. So, “cheers” to finding myself and now beginning a journey of blog posts, content creation, and writing to share my outdoor passions with whoever will listen. #ExploreAndHike