Ladybug - Buckeye Trail Journal - 2011

I am often asked the question, "Why do you hike?" Without sounding pompous, my answer is simple..."Because I can."

It's is the easiest retort because those who have to ask the question, will never understand my passion anyway.

"Second only to the love of my family, I am most content when I am alone in the wilderness." ~Ladybug

Awakening each day in a new and different setting excites me. I crave the anticipation of how my day is going to unfold. I find simple pleasure in physical, emotional, and mental challenges. And I am curious by nature. I need goals to thrive. Long distance hiking does not come without sacrifice. But in the longterm, I become a more evolved Ladybug by creating answers to daily challenges through unexpected events. NO, distance hiking is not a vacation. It is physically grueling at any age. I have never met a hiker that I haven't liked. The hiking community is family. In the end, our respect for one another is a timeless bond glued by each hiker's passion of purely extraordinary exploration of our natural world. I live each day in communion with God.