Hi everyone – it’s been quite a while since we last talked… sorry about that.

This summer has absolutely flown by for me.  Between a full-time internship at CNN, studying for a looming college precalculus test, training for my upcoming thru-hike of the AT with several day/weekend-long backpacking trips, and trying to stitch together something resembling a social life, it’s been a busy 2 months.

As the summer comes to a close, I feel so incredibly blessed by all the opportunities, experiences, challenges, and unexpected surprises that emerged throughout the past few months.  Despite all the stress and running around, I’ve had a crazy fantastic time.

And from here on out, it’s only going to get cooler.

In a few weeks my family is headed to Colorado for 24 days of backpacking, exploring, and family time.  We’ve got a full agenda of activities and goals we plan to accomplish on our training trip/vacation, and I’m really excited to share all the adventures that will inevitably arise.

Before our big Colorado trip, I’m taking a weekend to work on a challenge I created for myself: hike Georgia’s 5 tallest mountains in 2 days.  3 mountains in one day and 2 the next.  Bonus: one of the mountains has no designated trail leading to the summit, which means I’ll get to try my hand at bushwhacking (hiking off-trail).

After that, I’m planning on dedicating more time to planning and prepping for my AT thru-hike next spring by gathering the rest of my gear and taking a few more solo backpacking trips.

One part of me thinks it would be nice to just take a week or two off and sit around in my pajamas watching movies all day.  But I’ve come to learn my brain and my body just aren’t programmed to sit around and do nothing.  Sometimes it gets exhausting and frustrating running around all the time, but I don’t regret any second of it.  If anything, all of the craziness only makes me appreciate the random peaceful moments I get even more.

So here’s to the end of a great summer and the beginning of an even better fall.  I wish you all the best of luck with your job and/or school responsibilities, and I encourage you to make time for your loved ones and for yourself.

I can’t wait to share all my upcoming adventures with you all!

Until then,
Lizzie