I had dropped myself into the middle of an epic adventure that others were taking months to complete, and felt lucky to get a sample of the journey and still be home in time for dinner.

The 17-mile hike along the South Fork Trail is often a tough physical challenge for hikers looking for adventure. For me, San Gorgonio Mountain is a healing place. It’s an area where I can venture out to and seek answers to questions I pose in the wilderness.

Whether it’s a canyon lowering me closer to the Earth’s mantle or a mountain raising me up towards the clouds, I am reminded that we are always moving, and to be ready to adjust to life in constant motion.

It’s best to have as many tools and knowledge that you can use as situations arise, but life is always about change. It’s what you do when you face those changes that makes a difference.

I’ve been influenced to write and document more of my adventures outside again and share them with those willing to listen. More knowledge, deeper reflection, and more enjoyment in the outdoors are just some of the benefits of being forced to slow down while I’m on the trail. 

I have a problem, and it involves me making everything ten times more difficult than it needs to be. Whenever I search for my next hiking trail to tackle, I tend to look for the longest, highest-elevation paths. The Caliente Mountain Ridge Trail is no different.

I saw the price of the glorious beauty in the wildflowers as a subtle, ominous nod towards the hellish dry spells to come, but I took up my pen in the meantime and continued to draw the vivid wildflowers near the hiking trails in my nature journal.

My experience has inspired me to search further and look more deeply into how the land I was recreating on was shaped, and to strengthen my backpacking and mountaineering skills to be a better hiker. The mountains shaped me into the leader and hiker that I am today, and I am forever grateful for the chance to explore them.

This year, I decided to take a sabbatical from full-time marketing after losing my grandmother and head back to school. So far, heading back to school has been such an amazing experience, and I know that it will only help transform my life and career when I return. 

The holidays are hard after a recent loss of a loved one. You’re left to reflect on the quiet ache left by an empty chair at the table, but memories can provide solace even as they bring tears. The pain is real, but you can still honor the memories and the love that remains. 

I ended up visiting Crater Lake National Park, the Oregon Caves National Monument, which features a cave system in the Siskiyou Mountains, and the Redwood forests along the northern California coast, which protect some of the tallest trees on Earth.

My intentions, at the beginning of this long road trip, were to cross mountains off of some list that I felt I needed to tackle. My intentions would later turn into taking advantage of the free time I had to see as much of the world as possible.

Although I didn’t summit, I shifted my focus. It was less about conquering extreme challenges and more about enjoying new experiences.

I’ve had the opportunity this month to help uplift others and be uplifted in the outdoors. I shared my story, gave away tips, and was taught how to maximize my fun in the snow. The month started with me protesting in Joshua Tree National Park to protect our parks, and it ended with an action plan to help protect the future of the planet and all the people in it.

Learning history is recognizing and understanding patterns that could predict behaviors. Knowledge is power, and anyone with power would do their best to keep it to themselves. It is an act of resistance to learn anyway.

Doing what you can should be your priority instead of trying to save the world all by yourself. It’s impossible to take on a giant on your own, but with planning, help, and the reminder that preserving your health and wellness is essential, we can collectively achieve amazing things.  

We know it will take a long time to rebuild the land and buildings in these communities, but I swear the relationships between the people have grown stronger despite such difficult situations. Because of this, I know we will rebuild these communities.

The only way to move forward is to look back. The only way to know the future is to know your history. The only way to adapt is to change, and right now, the world is changing fast. 

The holiday season is a wonderful time filled with fun and family, but it’s also a very important time for looking back on the year and reviewing what you find to plan for the future.

If we’re not careful, we may be the last generation to ever see the Joshua Tree, and they will become just a photograph in a history book and a forgotten memory.

First, stop for a moment. Make time for yourself, and then do what you can to cancel out the destruction.

Many U.S. citizens are giving up their right and their power to vote during this year’s election. Have you noticed this trend? Are you planning on voting?

October is the transitional time of death and rebirth as the summer fun ends and a new school year begins. However, many treat this time of change as a last chance in the calendar year to make big life changes. 

There are no guarantees of safety outside. The wild can feel unregulated and unpredictable at first, but like most things in life, there’s a pattern, and preparing for what you know, anticipating, and adjusting around what you don’t can take you places.

After the assurance from the hypnotherapist that I would not be hypnotized without my consent, I agreed to help. My random internship did expose me to the world of publishing, but it also helped satiate my interest in psychology while exposing me to knowledge about how to improve myself.

There is something about having to carry all that you’re going to need to live in the wilderness for days on your back that makes you question your entire life. Hiking heals, but backpacking takes it up a notch as you discover what is most important in life.