I hope to inspire others to chase their BIG DREAMS and practice lifelong learning by pursuing my own adventure. My name is Stephanie. I am a strong, independent, 36 year old adventurer. After 11 years of teaching middle school science, I put in my resignation.
In 2016, I completed a thru hike of the Appalachian trail which I shared with my middle school students when I returned. During the adventure I stopped by to give an assembly to my students in order to explain why I was not there. Later on we continued that discussion in the classroom. My goal was to get them to ask questions, inspire them to care about the natural world around them, all while believing they could follow through on BIG DREAMS!
Every time I explore the mountains I learn something new. I am inspired to stop, and ask questions. That is to say I pause to wonder while I wander. I have become a more engaged learner. For this reason, I have used my summers to continue exploring. I hiked the Northville Placid Trail, Long Trail, and the Long Path. Each shaped my perspective. Each gave me an opportunity to be creative. As I continue on a path of exploring, learning, and creating it is time to take the next step in my journey. The day after the 2020-2021 school year ended I flew across the country to follow my next BIG DREAM of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico. Along the way, I am created a new path to follow.
In the first 300 miles I found a job at White Pass in Washington and it has been my backpacking off season home ever since. Following the path of adventure has me spending most of my time outdoors and balancing the life of a ski bum with the life of a thru hiker.
I hope you’ll find value in following along and sharing what speaks to you.
