About

This blog is an opportunity to post things that I am working on, just thinking about, current thoughts on news of interest, and to hopefully get some feedback on things.

Much of what I post will reflect the writing I am doing as a continual component of my education, and my profession within education and my passion for hiking and past adventures, and with my daughter. Forewarning-I am NOT a professional writer, nor has writing ever come naturally to me daughter for many hundreds of miles. Writing has always been a struggle and I suspect it will continue to be a challenge. However, I am becoming more confident in how I express my own thoughts, using writing as a different form of exploration.

I have recently begun to write a book on the psychology and influence a long distance hike can have on a person. More specifically, the Appalachian Trail, how social isolation and personal reflection can affect one’s understanding of self and purpose, how we change on a long distance hike, and what that transformation may look and feel like, then obviously the integration into the larger society at some point. I’ll have a discussion of what the real world is, and how the power struggle between our social and essential selves are a major factor in the overall health and satisfaction that we have in our lives. It is a developing project, but I have had some terrific interactions with several authors in my journey to understand my own journey. It will also be something of a tribute, and reflection of one of the most influential people I have ever been blessed to spend time with, not enough time, but cherished time, Baltimore Jack Tarlin.

A thought I had the other day: In a world without war, what becomes the warrior? What does the warrior/hero archetype do, become, transform into…?