My friend Lauren says, "the trail provides." Although I've always loved to hike, I don't think I fully, deeply understood what this meant until this past year. The trail has become my salvation. The place I go to find myself, to find my spirit. The second I set foot on the trail, my soul is free.

It's election day today. I'm feeling a weird elixir of fear, anxiety, and hope.I feel them all - and I choose hope. I have to choose hope. I just have to. I have to believe that love and empathy will help us find our way towards healing in our country. I have to believe, because the alternative simply isn't an option.

Yesterday I moved to Colorado. I packed up my Honda Civic as full as humanly possible, left my parent's house at 6:45am and by 7:15pm I was in Colorado. On paper, it didn't really make sense for me to move. I had a GREAT life in Minnesota. But I moved to Colorado anyway. Because it wasn't about LEAVING Minnesota. It was about moving TO Colorado.