After finishing up the school semester, I left my new resident state in the south and took a convoluted, entirely inefficient roadtrip to my old stomping grounds in the north. I traveled highways and byways, slept on couches and in tents, and followed only one golden rule: If there's a friend nearby, ask to visit.…
To climb a mountain: Mount Kilimanjaro, March 2026
5,895 meters.19,341 feet. The highest peak on the continent of Africa.The tallest free-standing mountain in the world. And I had the privilege of standing on top of it. It's been one week since I came off the mountain, and I'm still processing. Nine months of planning, training, shopping, packing (so much packing!), arranging, anticipating; all…
The Precipice
I stood cautiously at the edge of the precipice, visually inspecting angry red streaks crisscrossing my forearms and gently assessing the throbbing swelling on my right thigh. Maybe I’ve made a mistake, I mused. I’d made a deal with myself to take one day every 4-6 weeks to escape the hubbub and check into the…
Conversations on El Camino 