About

Up until the age of 11, I was very much an urban child. Born in New York City and raised in London, my earliest years were shaped by the intensity of the metropolitan environment – the endless sights to see, the places and things to experience, the wonderfully frantic and fast-paced manner of life.

Yet my most vivid memories of childhood center around the White Mountains.

I can remember with utmost detail the first time I drove through Crawford Notch. Hands and face pressed firmly against the window of my parents’ red suburban, I gazed in wonder up at the steep, scarred mountainsides. The summits themselves were invisible, swathed in a fine summer mist. It was like nothing I had ever seen: a wild and precipitous landscape, haphazardly covered by a lush green blanket of leaves. The rugged beauty held me captive.

After a little pestering, my Dad agreed to take me hiking. A three year “birthday hike” tradition was born. We scrambled up the Caps on Jefferson, teetered across Durand Ridge on a foggy (yet windless) day, and experienced stunning 360-degree views on Eisenhower.

That was back then. This is me now.

Following an eight year respite from hiking, I returned to the White Mountains on July 27th, 2007. Jefferson was my first target, and I was so terribly out of shape that I almost passed out from overexertion upon arriving back at the trailhead. It was tremendously discouraging, and the hike itself served as a very real turning point for me.

Give it up?
Or press on, lose some weight, and slowly regain my fitness?

I think we all know which decision I made.

One of my absolute favorite things about hiking is that it’s an activity that almost anyone can pursue – regardless of weight, lifestyle, or athletic ability. Furthermore, the simple act of climbing a mountain can be applied to so many aspects of life. Hiking has provided me with health, happiness, and a set of wonderful, like-minded friends.

But most importantly, it’s taught me that even the most ordinary of girls are capable of achieving extraordinary things.

I hope you’ll follow along with me as I continue to blog about my adventures in the White Mountains.