This summer, I've had the pleasure (and have made a considerable effort) to go on a ton of beautiful hikes that I've never done before. This summer has been absolutely gorgeous; it's been super rainy, which means everything has stayed green and blooming. #lovingcolorado
Gold Hill with Emily
Mt Quandary with Ella: 14,265' !
Louisville, CO with Lindsey and Alexa
Breckenridge wandering with Em and Nico
Crystal Lakes with Blair
Blue Lakes with Ella
McCullough Gulch with Jules
South Willow Creek Falls with Jules and Ella
I just had a wonderful conversation with my second family yesterday about the benefits of spending time in the wilderness. Not just a few hours at a time, but days, even weeks, on end (many of us had done NOLS courses). Spending time away from civilization and technology is so incredibly liberating! I do realize the irony of saying that on a blog, but there's a beautiful balance to be found between being a hermit that lives in the woods forever or being superficial. Spending that month in the woods in Idaho during my NOLS course helped me appreciate everything I have. I missed my face cream, my phone, my diamond ring my mom gave me on my 21st birthday, showers... But I didn't NEED that to be happy. It was one of the best things I've ever done in my life, being dirty, hairy, sweaty for weeks, and every day putting my 42-pound pack on to hike another mountain. Seeing things that it seemed like no one else in the world had ever seen. We were remembering our NOLS courses as AUTHENTIC and INTIMATE. There's no need, or chance, to be anything but open and yourself when you're out in the woods.
Getting little glimpses of that liberation and authenticity with my hikes here in Colorado, getting to hike back to scenes you'd never see from the highway or get the same impression from a picture that you do in person, has made this one of the best summers! Spending that time on the trail with likeminded friends is awesome. Even better, is spending that time on the trail with girlfriends that we then go get pedicures, shop at Nordstrom (or anywhere really), and drink wine! #lovemygirlfriends
