I thought I'd never be free. During the darkest decade of my life, I thought I'd never win my battle against bulimia. It seemed impossible to escape the powerful binge-purge cycle of addiction. Impossible to imagine a life of normalcy ever becoming reality for me again—especially after several failed attempts. And yet, this year in …
Continue reading How I Recovered From a Decade-Long Battle With Bulimia: My Story of Hope
Okay, so the title is a bit deceiving. I didn't find love at the Super Bowl. Or because of the Super Bowl. Or even actually during the Super Bowl. But, John first said "I love you" last year, on Super Bowl Sunday—and I said it back. It was February 2, 2020. We'd been dating since …
January 1, 2020. What an innocent day, looking back. I started off the year hiking House Mountain just outside of Knoxville, then shared my recap of 2019, that included hopes and goals for 2020. January 1, 2020: House Mountain solo hike On that day, Covid was simply something happening in China. I had no clue …
Continue reading 2020 Review: Expectations, Reality, & What I Learned
I didn’t see it coming. At the start of 2020, I was single. No dating prospects. Not actively seeking to date. Just single. This was yet another area of my life that I finally realized was better left to God—as opposed to me trying to make relationships happen. So, I waited on God for a …
In January 2019, I wrote a blog post titled, A Year of Abundantly More, as a reflection on 2018 – and I was awed by all that God had done in just one year. I hadn't dreamt big enough. So, I trusted Him for more in 2019. Bigger things. And still... Still. I didn't dream …
Croatia is one of those up-and-coming countries. Gaining popularity, but still not as touristed (yup, it’s a word) as Italy and other nearby European nations. At least, not yet. And that, my friends, is why I’m urging you to add Croatia to your travel bucket list ASAP if it’s not already penciled in. Better yet, …
Solo travel is a polarizing topic. You've either done it / want to do it / applaud folks who do. OR, you think they're crazy. And if you're in the latter group, I'm not mad. In fact, I think it does take some level of crazy to embark on a trip by yourself. Especially an …
Grotto Falls is pretty popular. First, it’s the only waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can walk behind. Bam. Instant appeal. Second, it’s a short hike. Only 1.4 miles from the Trillium Gap trailhead to the falls. Minimal effort for maximum beauty. Ironically, Grotto Falls’ popularity and the short trek to …
Continue reading When Hiking Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls, Don’t Skip Brushy Mountain!
Welp. I found my sweet spot. My hiking sweet spot, that is. And I don’t mean location. I’m talking distance. After nearly two months of life in Tennessee – hiking lotsa trails of various lengths – I’ve discovered that 8-mile hikes are juuuuuuust right, in that Goldie Locks-esque sort of way. Don’t get me wrong. …
Friends, I hiked eight miles to see a bunion in the Smokies. Though I don’t have bunions, they’re hereditary on my mom’s side – so I grew up quite familiar with ‘em. Outside of my family, though, it’s not often I hear much bunion talk. Maybe that’s why I was so intrigued when several Tennesseans …
Continue reading Hiking the Appalachian Trail to Charlie’s Bunion
