Change in Plans

The Colorado Trail thru hike is no more, but the adventure is not over. Yesterday Roxy woke up hobbling on 3 legs. For Roxy this is a huge deal because even after she had surgery on her paw and had several stitches, she was still running around on all 4 legs. The fact that she was refusing to put any weight on the leg was a clear sign that something was hurting.

We took the entire day off, spending the morning sleeping in and the afternoon bumming around Frisco. Roxy was not herself at all. She didn't want to get out of the tent much, was exhausted after trying to play for just a few minutes, and didn't even get up to bark at any dogs in Frisco. She was melancholy and resigned all day.

In the evening we hiked a mile from a trailhead to camp for the night, and Roxy perked up a little but still wasn't putting weight on her back right leg. This morning she woke up rejuvenated and in much better spirits. She is putting weight on her leg again but is walking a little stiffly.

Despite the slight improvement in her gait, I've come to terms with the reality that Roxy is no longer a young pup. She is seven years old and despite her enthusiasm she just can't do as much as she used to. Roxy always pushes herself to the limit and would follow me to the end of the world and back. Despite her eagerness to keep going, I believe it is in her best interest to limit her physical activity. She will always be my baby but we are going to have to adjust our adventure plans to better suit her aging body. 20 mile hiking days are no longer realistic but that doesn't mean we are going to stop exploring.

For the remainder of the summer we will be glamping around Colorado. That means we will never be more than 10 miles away from the Yaris, which is packed full of first aid supplies, food, water, clothing and extra gear. It isn't exactly hardcore or super adventerous, but Roxy will always be my number one priority and I want to make sure she stays healthy and happy.

Although I am bummed that my summer isn't going quite as planned, I'm determined to make the most of every moment I have out here. We won't be scaling jagged mountainsides, or braving epic hailstorms anymore, but we can relax and enjoy scenery like ordinary people do. It is requiring a major adjustment to my personal mindset and lifestyle. I'm not the type of person that enjoys slowing down or doing things the easy way, but I'll have to find fulfillment in conquering lessor challenges. Leaving Roxy behind is not an option, no matter what life throws at us, we're in this together.

Epic start

One week in and we've experienced more extreme weather than I ever saw on the Appalachian Trail. Colorado is like a whole new world that I never knew existed.  Here is a quick recap of what has happened so far:

Day -1: Roxy and I took an alternate start trail to avoid a "no dog" zone. It was a great plan until we accidentally followed a fellow hiker + dog down the wrong path. Luckily it was a loop trail so instead of doing the 4 mile intended track, we did the 8 mile detour. Getting lost on day one was definitely an exciting way to start.

Day 1: this was our official start on the Colorado Trail, we met up with Susy and hiked about 16 miles to the South Platte River. Camping was limited so we shared a site with 5 other people. We already received trail magic from Bob the mountain biker. He gave us a big bag of fresh juicy cherries right when we were dying of thirst. A perfect suprise to keep spirits up! Colorado weather is crazy and we were hiking in 90° heat for most of the day.

Day 2: Did I mention the weather here is crazy? Today's surprise was golfball-sized hail pelting down on our tents at 5pm. Luckily we were safe and covered so it was an exciting day.

Day 3: slow and uneventful. The heat is oppressive and I end up carrying Roxy's pack for her.

Day 4: our meteorological skills failed us today and we ended up getting caught in a hail storm on top of a mountain with very little shelter. Poor Roxy tried to hide under a fallen log while Susy and I huddled beneath a skimpy pine tree. We eventually gave up on waiting out to the storm and sprinted several miles over thr ridge in the storm. Good news: no one died and everything else will seem easy now.

Day 5: we had a short 10 mile hike back to our car. Although short, the hike provided us with scenic panoramas of the Colorado mountains. After reaching the car we drove to a biker bar in the mountains and enjoyed massive burgers on their outdoor patio. Then we drove to Dexter's Point and camped beside a mountain Lake.

Day 6: today! We are taking a zero day (no hiking) in Breckenridge. Our hostel is amazing and we got in early enough to run all of our errands. Zero days are usually more work than hiking days because we have to catch up on real life. I've spent the morning paying bills, applying to a graduate program at Marian university, scheduling an interview, answering emails, doing laundry and assuring my mother I am still alive.

Although it has only been a few days I already feel exponentially refreshed and revived. Based on the crazy weather, new plants and animals, challenging climbs and epic panoramas, I know that Colorado will continue to surprise me every day.

*the blogger app won't let me caption photos or integrate them into the body of a post so check out my facebook page for an album full of photos from the hike so far.

Where's Prince Charming?

After yesterday's blog post someone pointed out to me that my happily ever after was missing something that is usually seen as the culminating component of any story: prince charming. I don't label myself a girl-power feminist, and the lack of a lover in my story can be attributed to stubbornness, independence, and happiness; characteristics that I would recommend for all people not just women. So although this post might seem like an amen to man-hating-feminism and female empowerment, I would like to encourage everyone to see this is a gender neutral state of mind.

When it comes to relationships, I think cheesy pop songs do a great job of simplifying life down to a few generic catch phrases. So I'm going to use a few of my favorites to describe my life. Sorry the videos aren't embedded, I'm blogging from my phone which has limited editing capabilities.

1. Kenny Chesney- Save it for a rainy day
My ex-husband decided to let me know he was leaving me via text message (very mature) when I was on my way to visit my brother in the White Mountains. 10 hours into a 17 hour drive and I had a choice: I could let his decision devastate me or a could keep going forward. The choice was easy. It is hard to be upset about anything when you are sitting on top of a mountain gazing into a world full of potential for adventure. Hiking is a great metaphor for life: no matter what happens your only choice is to just keep moving forward.

2. Demi Lovato- Really don't care.
When I came back from the White Mountains my house was pretty much empty and I had a mountain of legal issues to deal with. Most notably my ex took my Mustang, refused to pay for his own car insurance, crashed my mustang, and then expected me to clean up his mess. Spare me the pity party and listen to Demi. This applies to pretty much every aspect of life. Your life is in your hands. Whatever happens is a consequence of your own choices, so don't expect other people to solve your problems. I have no patience for people who aren't self-reliant.

3. Jennifer Lopez- Ain't your momma
Looking back on my marriage, I realize I got myself into a situation where I was responsible for a man child. I'm not sure why I ever found caring for an adult who had the life skills of a toddler so endearing. I guess it was nice to feel needed, but you know what feels even better: taking care of yourself and prioritizing your own growth. Not to sound like a complete narcissist, but I think focusing on yourself should be a priority. Maybe I'm taking things too far, but after wasting 6 years of my life trying to make someone else happy, my only motivation is to make myself happy, and I'm not willing to compromise my happiness in any way. Which means there is no room for altering my routines, plans, and goals to make room for someone else.

4. Meghan Trainor- No
Too many people are wasting their lives searching for "the one." Just about every single person I know is on tinder, match, or some other ridiculous dating app. I don't feel like there is any void in my life and I'm sure as hell not going to waste any time "searching" for someone. I mostly see other people as interferences. I have no problem making friends if there is a genuine connection or mutual interests. However I have high standards for all people and don't have the patience to spend time with people who don't meet my expectations.

5. Meghan Trainor- Me Too
Ok so now it's time for me to sound super conceited: I love where my life is going, and I know that who I am and all that I have accomplished is a direct result of the choices I have made. Especially when I was thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I had people fawning over me and acting like what I was doing was a big deal. I hate hearing people say "I wish I was more like you" or "I wish I could do stuff like that." Stop wishing and make it happen. If your life is lame or you are unhappy it is your own fault. Figure out what you are doing wrong and fix it. I don't think I'm doing anything remarkable, I just do what makes me happy, and I'm unwilling to settle for anything other than perfection. I'm stubbornly determined to make the absolute most of my life. That doesn't leave time for searching for prince charming. 

So that's pretty much it. I promise I'm not a man-hating feminist, just a fiercely independent and strong-willed individual.  My happiness is not contingent on anyone else. We get one life to live and I've wasted enough of mine on other people. Who knows, maybe I will eventually meet someome who will sweep me off my feet, but lucky for me my feet are perfectly capable of climbing up mountains on their own.

happily ever after

Do you ever just look around and think "I have the most amazing life"? That's pretty much the state I've been in since July of last year. An entire year of epic awesomeness. Life is so good it is hard to believe that this is really my life.

My feelings of awe have been reinvigorated by my arrival in Colorado. The town of Boulder is basically paradise on Earth. Everyone is fit, friendly, and environmentally conscious. No matter where you are in the city, all you have to do is look up and you are graced with a view of the mountains that lools like it is straight out of The Sound of Music.

Since my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail isn't officially starting until Sunday, I have a few days to bask in the glory of all that Colorado has to offer. Yesterday I stayed at a small state park in eastern Colorado and I saw a jackrabbit for the first time! Jackrabbits are basically mutated Indiana rabbits. Their ears stand straight up at all times and are longer than the height of their bodies. They have the most bizarre profile I've ever seen. Unfortunately due to Roxy's over-eager personality I wasn't able to get a picture of one, but hopefully I will catch one without her around. I've also seen a plethora of crazy-looking plants that I can't wait to learn more about.

In addition to discovering new plants and animals every day, I also climbed the tallest mountain I've ever been on. The Appalachian Mountains are old, and have been eroding for millions of years so they are relatively small. The mountains in Colorado are much younger and subsequently provide a much more stunning landscape. Rocky outcrops and snow-covered peaks abound, and even the "small" mountain I climbed today was over 11,000 feet above sea level.

An added bonus about Colorado is that the sun is up by 5am and doesn't set until 9pm = maximum time for exploration. And even if the sun does set it stays warm and the sky is filled with more stars than I have ever seen. Words can not describe how amazing it feels to be out here. On top of that, I now have job security and know I can come back every single summer!

Time for a cliché motivational statement: work hard, believe in yourself, and never give up. If you had asked me 3 years ago where I would be today I would never have envisioned anything like what I have achieved. With a little soul-searching I figured out what type of life I wanted to be living and I made it happen. Your life is yours for living; go and make your happily ever after!