We were on the early days of our hike on the AT through Virginia. Because we had only been on the trail for a few days, everything was still new on this beautiful early May morning in 2015. We were discovering Jack-in the-Pulpits and morel mushrooms and wild columbines. But we were also making our way through a jumble of small but close mountains called the “roller … [Read more...] about “I Am Keeping My Promise”
Finally: a New Post on an Invisible Pilgrimage
What does one do when discovering one is on a pilgrimage that one didn’t choose? Let me put that more simply: I am now on a pilgrimage I didn’t choose. Well, that’s not entirely true either. I chose this journey I’m on in some ways—I just didn’t choose all that goes with it. What I did choose, I chose out of love for those I love because that is what loves does. What I … [Read more...] about Finally: a New Post on an Invisible Pilgrimage
Thank you, Mary Oliver
So heavy is the long-necked, long-bodied heron, always it is a surprise when her smoke-colored wings open and she turns from the thick black water, from the black sticks of the summer pond, and slowly, rises into the air and is gone. Then, not for the first time or the last time, I take a deep breath of happiness, and I think how unlikely it … [Read more...] about Thank you, Mary Oliver
Gentle Calling
Although I can't tell you what day or where I was on the trail, I distinctly remember struggling, as usual in a climb, with my mental outlook on it all. Perhaps it was during the extreme heat and humidity of the first week. Or maybe it was in the second week when I was discouraged by the realization that I was having a harder time carrying a pack than in previous years. I … [Read more...] about Gentle Calling
What I Discovered in Vermont
What did I discover hiking 140 miles or so through Vermont? 1. First, I love Vermont. 2. I tried to have conversations with local people when I was in town. The Vermont people I met care about their land and love to be outdoors—hiking, boating, camping, skiing, fishing, hunting. They are serious about recycling, passionate about education as a priority, are concerned … [Read more...] about What I Discovered in Vermont