Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

When the warden suggested we keep going or go back the way we came, I didn't know what to say. Angel Baby was quite tired. The elevation was affecting him, making him very tired and dare I say, even a bit grumpy? He was more than ready to call it a day. I asked the warden why he'd suggested we keep going as there were quite a few people setting up tents and settling in for the night. The warden raised his Ipad from the desk and turned it around for me to see. He pointed at a large purple blob. "See this? It's a storm system off the northern coast that'll be moving through early in the morning and most of the day tomorrow. Cold, rain, and wind. High winds. You don't want to be here for that," he said. I nodded. He was right. I really didn't want to have to pack up a wet tent then have to hike all day in rain and wind. I wasn't sure Angel Baby had it in him to go on, though. I returned to the site Angel Baby had picked out for our tent an...

We set off from the campground for our third day of hiking, and me being me, I immediately began second-guessing the direction we were heading. All along the way, markers with a blue square at the top told us we were on trail. For the first half mile beyond camp, I saw no markers. Then we reached a Y. My gut told me we needed to go left, but the Shadow of Doubt raised its head, and with one eyebrow cocked said, "Are you sure?" I looked at Angel Baby and suggested we go right. He just shrugged. We headed right. Still no trail markers. After another half mile, I stopped and suggested we return to camp and ask. Again, Angel Baby just shrugged. We backtracked, running into a young lady we'd met the day before. Sanna, like in Susanna, with the 'short a' sound. From Norway. I explained my fear of going off trail, and she nodded, pulling out her map and opening it up for us to look at. My gut had been right: we needed to go left at the Y. We thanked her then set off ag...

Our first hiking day in Iceland ended on a good note though my body was aching like I'd never experienced before, and I was certain I would wake up to not being able to move the next morning. Thankfully, and I chalk this up to doing so much walking and hill climbing the month before leaving for Iceland, I woke up feeling surprisingly good. A bit of soreness through the shoulders, but other than that, the old body said, "Let's get on the path!" I knew it was too early for Angel Baby to be up, so I putzed around, taking pictures of the landscape around the campsite and having breakfast. Finally, Angel Baby emerged from his hut and we set off. Not long after we began, a drizzle started. We pulled out our rain pants and raincoats and put them on, then wrapped our packs with waterproof covers. Though the day was cool, I felt snug and warm in my layers. For the next few hours we walked along in silence. Angel Baby walked ten or so yards ahead of me, sometimes further sinc...

So, Iceland. Let's start with this: Yeah, I know. Every time I look back through all my photos of Iceland, this one takes my breath away. That green! Seriously beautiful, yes? And everyone who has thumbed through my photos always stops on this one to really drink in what they're looking at. I really had no idea what the landscape would be like before we got to Iceland, so to be able to see this, walk across the black sands, feel the chill . . . it all was incredible. Such beauty in our world, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to experience it up close and personal with one of my most favorite people, Angel Baby. I'm not sure Angel Baby knew exactly what he was getting into in agreeing to travel with me. I'm the type who just rolls with the flow. I don't book hotels beforehand. I get to where I'm going and hope to find a place, which is exactly what we did. When we arrived in Reykjavik I told Angel Baby we needed to find a hostel. He d...

So, it's December. Four months since I last posted. Four months of good, bad, and ugly. First, the good. Iceland. All I can say is it was fantastic. Angel Baby is the best travel buddy. We truly had a wonderful time. After the end of the semester, I'll write a longer post about our adventure. For now, just know that he and I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Second, the bad. My husband is still insisting he and I are fine. We're not. It's been nearly three years since I looked at him and said, "I'm moving out." Still, he behaves as if all is just peachy. I finally blocked him on my phone. Now, I am close to blocking him through email. I've told him over and over that we are not "we" any longer. I'm not sure what it is going to take for him to accept that I do not want to reconcile and that I will never move back in with him. And lastly, the ugly. On November 8, my sister called me to tell me my dad was ill. Cancer. I went...

And the countdown has started! T minus 4 days until we leave for Iceland! Angel Baby and I packed our gear this afternoon to see just how much weight each of us will be carrying. We divided the heavier items so neither one of us is stuck carrying all of those things. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how much room I still have in my pack and how light it is at this point. Granted, I still have to add the bladder full of water (which will likely be the heaviest item in my pack) and the food, but after walking the hill the last two weeks with odds and ends items inside my pack just to give me some weight, I know I'll be absolutely fine. I got this! What makes me most happy right now is how excited Angel Baby is about this adventure. He has mentioned several times over the last two days how stoked he is. I suggested over dinner this evening that things might go badly, and his response was, "Yeah, but that's okay, too. We'll get out of it what we put into it. N...

Last weekend, Lovely Beautiful Daughter and I went to Louisville for the Forecastle music festival. What a time! Back in 2012, when I did my first cross-country bike ride, LBD and the boys put together a care package and sent it so it would arrive on the same day that I rode into Haswell, CO. Inside the care package was LBD's mp3 player with a playlist of her favorite music. The Killers were a part of that playlist, and from that day on, I've always thought it'd be wonderful to see The Killers live. Friday night last week, LBD and I stood smushed together, surrounded by other fans, and watched The Killers put on a wonderful show. I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face during the entire hour and a half show. At one point, LBD took my arm and with tears in her eyes told me thank you for making her dream of seeing The Killers live come true. While I love so many of The Killers' songs, my favorite is a Brandon Flowers song he wrote and sang for the album Flaming...