I loved being on the Pacific Crest Trail. I also really hated being on the Pacific Crest Trail - like really hated. A popular question in town (and among hikers) was why you were on the PCT in the first place. I always came up short with an answer. My reason for hiking the trail did not arise
The Long And Winding Road
IT LIVES! Yes, the drought soon comes screeching to a halt as we resume our journey anywhere (which at the current moment is north on the Pacific Crest Trail). Trudging through the wilderness for the past couple months have proven unlike anything I could have ever imagined. Will I make it to
The New Worst Day On The PCT
After taking my first zero in Idyllwild, I felt it necessary to make up for lost time and go from Idyllwild to Cabazon in one day: a 33-mile trek (spoiler alert: this was a terrible idea). Armed with new socks, new insoles, and a freshly laundered wardrobe I felt rather invincible (especially
Yes, I Was Assaulted and Robbed in Rio
I opened my eyes and there was a man standing over me. "Are you alright? What happened?" he asked me in Portuguese. I looked around incredibly confused as to where I was or what was going on. It was almost four in the morning and I was sitting in the middle of the street, my head hurt, and
The Pacific Crest Trail: T-Minus One Month
It is unclear whether I have yet to fully appreciate the drastic lifestyle shift I am about to undergo, or if the prospect of sleeping alone in the woods for five months very subtly excites me. What I do know is that after researching and writing about how to not be eaten by bears, all I can
Prelude to The Holy Land
In the Middle of the East the Jews have settled a small piece of land the size of New Jersey, and this most holy of lands, known commonly as Israel, offers up a lot more than desert and hummus - supposedly. Reading about the country it would appear that what is said of most places in the world is
Brazil Day One: Mistakes At Duty Free
When we finally arrive in Rio de Janeiro I disembark the plane and my newfound friend and mentor, Steve, makes the executive decision to go to duty-free (again), where I am coerced into purchasing two more bottles of Jameson and a six-pack of Red Bull (thanks a lot, Steve). After retrieving our bags
I’m Moving To Brazil (That’s South America)
In just under fourteen hours, I will be boarding US Airways flight 1580 to a place many of you have likely only heard stories about, and that you have never even dreamed of going to - Charlotte, North Carolina. It is there I will sit for two hours, waiting to be delivered from the land of once