Who Am I?
I'm Riley, a nerdy, AuDHD, trans girl who spends way too much time in front of a computer. I work as a software engineer for a living, but have a degree in Electrical Engineering I hope to use soon. In my free time, I spread it out over my many (honestly, too many) hobbies. One of those hobbies is spending time in the great outdoors. The main challenge to this is that I live in a very hot, humid, and flat state. While I still make do with what I can, I much prefer the mountains and actual seasons.
What is this site?
This site is my trail journal. I use it document my hikes, share photos, and just in general talk about anything related to being outdoors. This may include nerding out about gear, reviewing books written by other outdoor enthusiests, or anything else I think might fit this site. You can expect to see my preparations, thoughts about logistics, and maybe even some philosophical musings as I am prone to do when I have too much time with my own brain.
Why do I hike?
Sometimes, life gets so busy, it seems to pass us by in its chaos. Due to my job and a lot of my hobbies, I spend too much time in front of a screen. Hiking is my way of getting away from technology for a moment and slowing my life down to enjoy it. Hiking gives me a chance to be alone with my thoughts without all of the distractions of modern life. It helps me get to know myself better.
Hiking also provides the opportunity to see some sights that I would never get to see otherwise. It gets me some fun exercise. And, hopefully, with my upcoming thru-hike, a transformative experience.