This blog started as a means for tracking my path toward becoming an ultramarathon runner; it has been a space to document race reports while also exploring the complex layers of those experiences. A few dozen ultras later, and now I’m seeking new avenues for adventure, and for written reflection. Traditionally, I’ve kept these posts relatively private, only occasionally sharing the link to specific posts with family and friends. Moving forward, I’m going to experiment with opening up to a wider audience, which is, admittedly, a bit intimidating.
The change in title reflects my new vision for this space. In Walden, Thoreau claims that, “It is life near the bone where it is sweetest.” Ironically, Thoreau and I both embrace a plant-based diet, but the sentiment holds. Life is sweetest when you pare it down to the bare essentials. When you live simply, you have time to contemplate your poetic faculties instead of being caught up in the prison of getting and spending. I feel a pull to be more intentional in my daily life, to strip out the excesses and maintain only the “true necessaries and means of life,” as Thoreau phrases it. Journeying into the wild is a means for me to contemplate the bigger questions. In his magnificent essay, “Walking,” Thoreau concludes, “In wildness is the preservation of the world;” so, too, do I seek self-preservation through my adventures into the natural world. Hopefully, I can also encourage others to get out there and connect with the wildness that surrounds us.
Thanks for taking time to peruse these pages. My hope is to write more frequent posts that chronicle my excursions into the wild while also meditating on the broader issues, concerns, and topics that arise as a result. I appreciate your companionship along the way.
Happy trails,
Ellen
