We saw three other couples on the break. One was definitely having a tense moment. Hiking with your partner can be hard at times. Being alone with someone else for 24 hours a day is not something most people are used to. I've been surprised by how often we hike together and don't talk at all. That's actually more common than having a conversation while walking.

We found a great campsite by a little creek for the night. We were talking about trail names and Snowshoe said I should be something fun like "Sunshine" or "BeBop." He suggested Sunshine because He said I "brighten everything up." I told him that I really do go by "Stacy Raye of Sunshine" in real life. He was amazed at the coincidence , it was very nice.

“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.”

- Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Inclusivity is important to me in spaces both on and off the trail. My privilege as a white woman means that I don't have to consider my race and how it may play into my safety in small town along the trail.