When living out in LA, I didn’t get the allure of hiking. It was hot, dirty, and there was always the potential of stumbling upon a giant rattler sunning itself on the trail. My ex attempted numerous times to convince me of its merits, but I felt it just wasn’t my thing.
Fast forward to 2010. My first in-person meeting with my new boss in Asheville, NC was a hike in the woods with our dogs. I loved it, and realized that my dislike for hiking wasn’t about hiking at all, but instead was a dislike of dirty trails filled with rattlesnakes.
A few years ago, I started a handcrafted pet product company and called it Devoted Human. It was an enormous undertaking, and a labor of love, but didn’t take off as quickly as my budget allowed. Aside from gaining valuable insights around ecommerce, entrepreneurship, and nonprofits, it also gave me the flexibility to get a puppy and take her on hikes through the state and federal forests multiple times a week. I miss the days when I had the time and convenience of near-daily hikes with my pup.
One of my best friends moved out to Southern California this year (funny how life flip-flops like this), and she came back to Maryland over the summer for a quick visit. We both love a good hike, so we headed out to Patapsco on a sunny Saturday for a hearty hike and a nice long catch-up chat.
