Beauty

Current Location: Hanover, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Accumulated Miles: 1200ish

A few days ago I stayed at a cabin on the top of a mountain in Vermont. Just a shelter really, but on the top of the mountain... and in the morning I woke up to the sky turning pink and went outside to watch an amazing sunrise.

Vermont was beautiful. Each day the scenery changed bunches of times, there were some great views (and tough climbs). New Hampshire will be beautiful too, although the White Mountains seem intimidating, I know I can do it.

Beauty. It's surrounding me every day. In the simplicity of hiking, in the laughter I share with friends, in the journey I find myself on, in the things God is teaching me. Beauty.

I want to be a person who embraces the beautiful parts of life. I tend to be a "glass half full" girl to begin with... and I love unexpected glimpses into the beautiful life. When this crazy experience ends I want to be a person who embraces beauty, not rushes on by it. I want to embrace these moments that are for now... not forever... these opportunities to be surprised and blessed by the beauty all around me.

I want to live in the moment, to embrace the day, not move so quickly through life that I miss the joys of today.

love yous!

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making peace...

Current location: north of Dalton, Massachusettes

Accumulated miles: 1080ish

Today found me in Dalton, MA after a long sleepless night in a shelter a few miles from town. As we were heading to Dalton yesterday afternoon we stopped to chat about thru hiking with some ladies and then it started raining.. so we stayed in a shelter instead with 2 women and a 4 year old... AND A MOUSE.

#1 fear of old Carly? Mice!! (geckos, birds, and bats). I hate them in an unexplainable way. I've avoided shelters repeatedly to not have to deal with them... yet there one was... TRAUMA!!

So today I thought a bunch about making peace. At some point I will have to coexist with the mice. At some point I will have to be ok with them. I have to choose to stop being a "girl" about it and be a "serious hiker".

There is a lot I need to make peace with in my life that is bigger than mice. Things I need to learn about where God has me right now and make peace with. Life isn't perfect, but everything is in God's control... and he certainly knows whats best for me.

So today, while I haul myself over some really big hills... I am looking to make peace within myself, so I can be open to the amazing possibilities that stand in front of me.

Making peace....

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I have not gone crazy... promise!

Current Location: north of Great Barrington, Massachusettes

Acumulated trail miles: 1036ish

And I'm back on the blogging wagon... aren't we all so happy? =) As I was walking and thinking today it just seemed a good time to jump back in... so here we go.

I haven't gone crazy. There seems to be some thought that old Carly has lost her mind. Nope. Not crazy that I know of. I mean, something is inherently a little off about someone who lives in a tent in the woods... but I am not nuts!

Maybe it was because things seemed to happen quickly with leaving Sulphur Grove and then leaving Ohio, but for me those things were a long time coming. I didn't lose my mind and quit my job to go hiking... but I am hiking because I left my job. To be honest, this is exactly where I need to be right now. It's simple, peaceful, and good. I laugh a lot, I walk A LOT, I eat A LOT, and mostly I just be... simple, easy, plain jane Carly... who I've always been and lost sight of for a while... its what my soul needs right now and its GOOD.

So no, not crazy...just takin some time to do something different while I figure out what's next. I'm still me. Just a less clean version!

Coming soon... a day in my life on the trail AND I'm going to make a list of the food I eat for a day. It's going to make you... ummm. puke? or laugh!

love you's!

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living outside the bubble...

I've been thinking a lot lately (don't worry, it doesn't hurt me too much!). Seriously though... I've been thinking about living in a bubble. (Yup, I'm crazy)...

Recently I decided to take a break from facebook, blogging, e-mail... all of it really. I've been keeping my phone off most of the time... just kinda laying low. It all came about because I was thinking about my bubble. Being in ministry for the last 10 years has been good. I very much love ministry and I know I will get back there someday... but sometimes it feels a bit like living in a bubble. A friend in Brazil told me once that we lived in a bubble... everyone knew everything that was going on in our lives there! So much of who I am and what I do even now is on continuous display. I am a strong believer in transparency, and especially in leadership, I don't want people to think I'm not exactly who I say I am... but sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming...and I know that in this time of transition some people have gotten hurt... I don't want to cause more pain.

So I 've decided to spend some time outside that bubble. I am spending some time away and not being in the middle of things. Eventually I'll blog again and go back to facebook... but for now, to protect a lot of people, including myself... its better to be outside the bubble for a while.

Someday soon I'll be back with more ridiculousness to share.. but for now...

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