Category: Journey to YOUR HeartLand

August 6, 2025

I have a S.T.O.R.Y. (A Sustained Tale of Repressed Yearning)

Hmm. I suppose the anniversary of Hiroshima Day is appropriate for posing this question. Can “using the tools” of Radical Forgiveness shift the apparent stalemate in a situation where someone is blaming me for something I said?

Two years ago, I muttered a judgemental comment within earshot of another person, triggering her desire to “not hang out with people who say mean things about me”.

Yesterday, she reminded me of that event, saying that the way to resolve this is for me to make amends and change my behavior. What’s my part in this situation? Can I raise the vibration for both of us by using the tools myself?? read more

August 2, 2025

It appears to me that my original reason for relocating to Ohio after my 9-year stint at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ended in May, 2023 has also now ended. My life seems to have distinct chapters that have clear beginnings and endings!  Now, I have the privilege this time to pretty much choose whatever I want to do! I can say more about all that later!

For this post, I want to elaborate on how I’m using my own Five  Essentials for Crafting a Radiantly Fulfilling Walk for planning my own walk of the Buckeye Trail, a 1400+ mile loop around Ohio!  Here’s a brief look! read more

July 23, 2025

In response to a Facebook question about how the average hiker walks the Appalachian Trail, here is my response:

Most important is knowing why you are walking! The trail is a blank canvas on which you express your unique fulfillment! It supports YOUR average day, YOUR pack weight, YOUR number of times going home.

How about getting to know the trail and yourselves?
I have loved my relationship with the AT starting at age 50 and find very little in common with most hikers I’ve met, especially with their focus on mileage, speed, food, and hatred of mountains. I’m happy to talk this through with you. I’ve worked as a ridgerunner for 7 seasons and have talked with thousands of hikers in Virginia. read more

August 30,2024

“Strangers are friends I haven’t met yet.”

This is one of my mottos that gets affirmed every day. Today, it was in admiring the beauty of an adult sitting with a child, honoring her importance next to the park pond where I was walking.

It took a photo of them, walked around the pond, and shared it with him. He graciously accepted it and we talked, blending our adult conversation seamlessly with his granddaughter’s.

I left them with my motto, “Maybe we can be park friends! Strangers are friends I haven’t met yet!” read more

August 26,2024

Do I stay in bed scrolling through the stories “the algorithm” chose for me? Maybe going for a walk in my neighborhood park would be better. It is. It’s always better!

On my first step off the street into the woods, I breathe and sigh, “Yes! I’m here! Oh yes, this is my place to be!” Colors, sounds, myriad relationships in balance flood my senses.

Reaching the mowed grass paths, I shed my shoes, greeting with a silent gesture of thanks the woman who enticed me to walk barefoot by her own practice. I rejoice in gratitude for this space. Somehow it has been mowed without me having to hear the machines! read more

August 24,2024

As I walked contentedly in my neighborhood park this morning, the question arose, “How long do I want to stay out on a trail before going ‘home’?”

As I walked, I posted a reflection on FB, recorded a video of one question, and recorded a voice memo of another self-reflection. Walking in Nature is my happy place for exploring questions and reaching out to others. It’s also my happy place for my general overall happiness!

Would I stay out on a trail with no permanent place to return to? Do I simply want a modern dwelling next to a trail for daily walks? Are trails and parks separate worlds from a house? Would RV or van living suffice? read more

August 23,2024

“Part of mental training is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. There will be days when you don’t want to hike, when it’s raining and your pack is heavy from resupply, and you have to keep going anyway.” The Trek

Every phrase in this statement begs questioning for me. I can’t remember if I thought this when I walked the Appalachian Trail – twice!

What does being comfortable with being uncomfortable mean???  One place this could be true is being comfortable with having wet feet. I remember a gradual shift in my acceptance of wet feet, wading through water with my shoes on, putting on wet shoes and socks in the morning, until that seemed normal. Now, I recognize being ok with wet shoes as a turning point from day hiker to long-distance hiker. read more

July 30,2024

I walked in my neighborhood park for a beautiful morning hour. Highlights were meeting two solo adventurers. One was a woman wearing a bulky backpack who revealed that she’s just starting to walk and might go on a trail. I told her about Taylorsville Metropark where the trail has good ups and downs. She made a note on her phone. I love connecting with women being called to walk! Just like you!!!

The other solo adventurer was a duckling! I’ve seen two families of ducks during the past month. Well on this day I saw a single duckling! I composed a Cinquaine to capture the essentials about this sighting: read more