July Walks: Setting My Intention

July 1, 2024

Good morning! In March, I had set out to be on a trail somewhere on the Appalachian Trail for my birthday month of July.  That plan did not materialize! . And here’s why. I was focused on looking for a different place to live because my landlord had only been offering a 12–month lease.  Since I moved to Dayton, Ohio to care for my 96-year old mother and will not likely stay here once she passes, committing to an entire year feels extravagant. I focused my search on cheaper rentals that still had access to a place to walk in Nature. That’s what I like best about my current apartment. read more

Georgia is Trial by Fire

“Checking in from mile 56 of the AT, nobo. It’s been quite a week out here, but I’m ahead of schedule somehow. Today I’m climbing Tray Mountain, which is apparently quite tough, right after another tough climb yesterday. I see why this isn’t for everyone. GA is kind of trial by fire. My goal is mile 85 by Saturday!”  – ATHiker

This is a loud call for Regina’s Meet the Mountains Technique!

Let each step be easy and greet the mountains as friends. read more

Lake Erie Reflections

Make Each Step Easy!

June 28,2024

“Make each step easy,” I reminded myself as I slowly stepped deeper into the cool water on the shore of Lake Erie. I focused on stepping safely, wearing my shoes on the rocky beach. The stones were smooth, yet there were a lot of them!

A dad nearby pushed his toddler into his butt in the water, laughing. A reminder of my dad flashed into my mind, replaying the practice of shocking us kids into leaving our comfort zone. Just do it!

I rejoiced in my freedom to choose a gentle way! “Make each step easy!” I repeated to myself, gradually and delightfully easing myself deeper into the lake with tiny steps over twenty minutes of contemplative wading.  For an hour I waded slowly in the refreshing water, finding the smooth slate or sand for my steps.  Relaxed and confidant, I returned to my camp. read more

Pushing

June 26, 2024

Path through blooming rhododendron
Rhododendron blooming. Three Ridges, VA

In answering a question on Reddit, my emotions were triggered with someone’s response that they wanted to push past their comfort zone, walk more miles, when their knee hurt after 8 or 9 miles of walking. What I wanted to reply was this:

It sounds like your body says, “this hurts now, can you please rest me”? Are you open to the idea that working WITH your body, loving it as it is, gradually healing and strengthening it with gentle walks, could give you a different connection to the trail, to yourself, to Nature? Could there be a way to be on the trail that fulfills a purpose besides competition, physical stress + pain, pushing? read more

Dancing with Solo – Mt. Greylock

Regina on Mt. Greylock wearing a purple hat in fog.
Third Summit of Mt. Greylock. Solo!

I did a thing! April 19-20, 2024 I visited Mt. Greylock on the Appalachian Trail in Massachussetts for my third climb. It was a sentimental/story-changing walk in my dance with solo walking.

  • On my first climb in 2007, I started the climb with a partner and finished it solo because of a misunderstanding.
  • My second climb in 2015 was with that same hiking partner who was back to being my hiking partner.
  • This time, 2024, I am solo again as my hiking partner has chosen to stay out in California while I have relocated to Ohio.
  • read more

    Love Your Gear: New Shoes

    Blue Altra Running Shoes
    Nice wide toe box and cushy feel

    I need to update my list of 20 or so pairs of shoes I’ve worn since I started walking in service to others. It’s February, 2024, and I need bigger shoes! There’s a pun there, I know! Something about “those are some big shoes to fill”. Hmm. Maybe my own purpose is getting bigger, so I need bigger shoes?? Anyway, since that time walking on the Continental Divide Trail in 2013 when my shoes felt just too small and I bought a pair of used Reeboks with pink trim in a second-hand store in a trail town, my shoe size has increased again! read more

    Shoe Choice?!

    September 22, 2023

    My shoes feel too small! My beloved Oboz are worn on the soles after a year of wear. Mind you, they’re not worn from hiking, just everyday wear. I haven’t been walking much for the past two months because I’ve had a strange foot issue!

    An unknown bite! I woke up one morning with an irritation on the top of my foot. Long story short, 8 weeks later, it’s finally not swollen and painful and I can walk easily again.

    And now, my shoes feel tight. I walked to Walmart – closest store – and noticed the $20 comfy-looking Avias. Hmm. Tried them on and they feel good. One-half size larger and wide width. What could go wrong? They surely could make it for my upcoming 12 mile walk. read more

    Lightening the Load

    My friend shared her gear list for a 22-mile backpack journey and asked for suggestions on how to lighten her load. Here is her list, with my suggestions for her to consider. Items to eliminate are crossed out, with suggestions to consider in parentheses. My suggestions are bold and in red. These are simply my suggestions for her to consider. In the end, the key is to LOVE YOUR GEAR! One inspiring moniker I heard as a beginning backpacker is “if you don’t have it, you don’t need it!” I think about that every time I go out. read more

    Creating a New Memory

    It’s June 1st, 2023 and I’m staying in a hotel in Virginia, halfway between my brother’s house in Charleston, SC and my new homebase in Dayton, OH. It dawned on me, while basking in the cleansing sounds of a singing bowl meditation, that I’ve been dwelling on the memory of a traumatic and unhappy moment that occurred to me on March 3rd. Whenever I replay the moment when my supervisor fired me, I feel awful. My body feels all the tightness and wrongness of the moment.

    This morning, though, I asked, “What if that truly was a misperception? What if what I heard was that I was wrong, I was rejected, I needed to be humbled? What if Ray was actually thanking me, regretfully sending me off to a better situation, acknowledging me for taking a stand for excellence and humbly freeing me to receive a new and better-suited environment for my skills?” read more

    Imaging a Reset

    It’s January 20, 2022 and my first blogpost in a while. I’m taking a week’s vacation from my park job in the warm, sunny desert of Southern California to create time with my family. I flew, literally from sea to sea, to downeast Maine where the temperature is just above zero degrees! Brrrrr! And, to top off the challenge, my family is living without their furnace because they don’t want to keep fixing it, but wait til Spring to install a new system. I’m getting to let the warmth of my heart overpower the cold air! Hat, gloves, sweaters, and tea help too! read more