I wake up to the sound of cars and trucks roaring by, lying on a stiff mattress with a picky wool blanket making my back sweat. But I only hear the rain on the roof tiles; I don't feel it. My mattress doesn't hold the memories of thousands of hikers before me, and my feet…

SO MUCH has transpired in the last five days of September. But first, some introductions. Jess and Bethani at an overlook of Pamplona My friend Bethani and I met at summer camp fifteen years ago, where we bonded over hauling tipi poles down a wooded hillside without losing limbs or gaining concussions. Since that time,…

I woke up before my alarm, my nerves making my brain whir and my stomach flip. This is the usual pre-flight process, so I just got Monday rolling early with a shower and a final review of the packing checklist (this was the third "final" baggage check – yesterday's review discarded an umbrella and swapped…