What are your 2020 reflections?

Interesting year! What world changing thought provoking event didn't occur? In this post I'll reflect about my experiences with nature in the year 2020.

Welcome to my blog. Here you will find the inside scoop to all my favorite hiking trails, links to purchase the gear I use, photos of my journey and a little education about the beautiful places I share with you. Almost all posts on this site contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on any of the links in the post and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I make recommendations on only the products that I have actually used and enjoy. When I suggest products to you the intent is to improve your experience. Thanks in advance for clicking and making purchases.

“Nothing can beat the smells, the touch of the breeze on your face and the sense of accomplishment when you reach those peaks.”

As promised I’ll share my gear suggestions on every post. If you love it, buy it using my personalized link on each item. It's important to note that I only recommend gear that I personally own and utilize on my adventures.

• Phone tripod with remote

• Gopro accessory set

• Keen boots (all time favorites)

• Solar outdoor camping shower

• Quick dry camping towel

• Teva sandals

• Camping lights

• Fillable tea bags for coffee brewing

• Sleeping pad inflatable

• Pillow inflatable

Here we go where do I start?

A year we’ll never forget! The year that goes in the history books covering several monumental categories. The year that many became more aware and ultimately gained more perspective. I appreciate all the lessons learned in 2020, all the awareness and loads of perspective we all gained. There were so many thought provoking occurrences. Have you ever taken a break from a book because there’s so much wisdom being shared and you need time to process what you just read? Moments like that happen to me all the time when reading and sometimes in life. This past year I spent time reflecting and processing current events in my happy place, the great outdoors.

Seeing America’s most beautiful places has always been a hobby of mine. In the past I’d visit a few new places each year. When the circumstances of the world painted a better picture of just how precious time is, that few places per year ritual changed. Like most others in March of 2020 all my plans for the year were cancelled. Fortunately, one thing that you can’t cancel is outdoors. With that being said I got busy making the kind of plans with less obligations, more solitude and a whole lot of nature. I decided to dedicate the year to getting out on the trail, road tripping to see more, and shifting my focus to what I enjoy most, being outside.

Finding My Tribe

When I hike and road trip I enjoy doing it with my people, the type that are just excited to be there as I am. I did just that and went a bit non-traditional as well and recruited my husband and kids along for a lot of the journey. I say non-traditional because while they absolutely love the outdoors, they're not big fans of long hikes. I do get a little excited sometimes and eager to go the "extra" mile. When thinking about my husband and kids their limit was somewhere around 2 hours on the trail. Oh boy did we stretch that limit but we saw fit that everyone was happy with lots of snacks.

Often I think about the meaningful encounters that bring people together. In particular I think about how I gain my lifelong friends. It’s amazing how you meet the people that complete your tribe when you’re doing the things that you love. Here’s the thing about me, I’m an introvert, very talkative but on the other side of the barrier. I'm a deliberate person that enjoys having a small group of friends that I know well and care deeply about. I love the idea of making new friends but my instincts are to observe first to build trust and then once my intuition gives clearance you’re basically stuck with me forever. My nature loving friends and family spent loads of time with me in 2020 because it just felt like a safe environment to be together.

Where my curiosity led me

I spent the early portion of the year in the Great Smoky Mountains exploring, hiking, and camping with good friends and family. As the weather changed and we got a bit of a break from the impacts of COVID I ventured further. Here's the complete list of Federally protected lands that I explored in 2020:

• Grandfather Mountain State Park

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

• Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

• Grand Tetons National Park

• Yellowstone National Park

• Glacier National Park

• Haleakala National Park

• Waianapanapa State Park

• Zion National Park

• Grand Canyon National Park

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park

• White Sands National Park

• Hot Springs National Park

• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

• Lake Mead National Recreation Area

• Saguaro National Park

• Joshua Tree National Park

Nature gives me so much joy, the beauty is unmatched. There’s that feeling of fulfillment that you get when you're out there on the trails. Nothing can beat the smells, the touch of the breeze on your face and the sense of accomplishment when you reach those peaks. What a perfect year 2020 presented itself to be when it came to connecting with nature.

Moving across the Country

There were some career victories in 2020 as well. My husband and I accepted new positions in the middle of the summer and our careers took us from Tennessee to Arizona. We made the move an adventure and stopped at several National Park Units along the way. We explored Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, sipping water from the mineral filled water fountains. We explored the depths of Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico. We were one with the majestic mass of Lake Powell and the Grand beauty of Grand Canyon National Park.

Final thoughts

When I reflect on my yearly accomplishments our most precious moments of 2020 all occurred in federally protected lands. I enjoyed many moments of solitude finding myself, you know those reflective periods to make it, make sense. I did a lot of teaching in the great outdoors, my kids were able to apply so much of what they were learning on our adventures. I built closer bonds with family and friends while exploring federally protected land. I’ll never forget how meaningful 2020 was despite the global hardship. Through it all 2020 was one of the best learning years ever!

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