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Hiking

This category contains 44 posts

Lessons from a Road Trip

On Monday morning, I hit the road.  Meticulous planners will be horrified to learn that I made the decision just days before (maybe they are shaking their heads and clucking their tongues at this clinically extreme case of Last-Minute-Itis).  And that is exactly why I needed to take off, to give my inner perfectionist the … Continue reading

In Defense of Last-Minute-itis

There are people who plan vacations months in advance, down to the hotels they will stay in each night and the clothing they will bring.  There are people who reserve a table at a restaurant weeks ahead and who book their next hair appointment while at the salon.  And many people fill their social, cultural … Continue reading

It’s All Invented

In The Art of Possibility, after decades of teaching music and seeing how students’ anxiety about grades interfered with their playing, co-author Benjamin Zander decides to give each pupil an “A” at the beginning of the semester.  Their only requirement is to write him a detailed letter explaining who they will have become by the … Continue reading

On fires, memory and writing

During a memoir class at Lighthouse Writers Workshop, my instructor, Harrison Candelaria Fletcher, gave us a free write assignment.  Imagine you’re barefoot, he said, and walked into the yard of your childhood home.  What would you feel? That early Tuesday evening some months ago, I could not recall a single instance of walking barefoot outside … Continue reading

Fire, Fire Everywhere

Wildfire after wildfire has been raging here in Colorado over the last few days.   First I learned of the fire outside Fort Collins,  90 minutes from Denver.   Although far enough away to be out of sight, winds carried smoke to the city, an acrid reminder of the destruction.  While hiking last Saturday in Rocky Mountain … Continue reading

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