We had the pleasure to spend a couple days in Colonial Williamsburg, which is a small historical area in Williamsburg, Virginia. I had been to this area before with my mom a few years ago and I loved it so much I had to bring my husband with since he also loves history!

Colonial Williamsburg is a wonderful place to learn about the history of this country. Essentially, it is about an 11 block area that has been preserved ​and restored to the setting of Virginia's 18th-century capitol. 

Well, Jake and I have come to find out that we are not thru hikers. We hiked 77.8 miles of the Appalachian Trail, through almost all of the Georgia section, and after 12 days on the trail we decided to make it a section hike instead of a thru hike. 

​We have always loved the outdoors, backpacking, hiking, camping, skiing, etc and when we decided to start off our new lifestyle of full-time travel with a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, we figured we would have a blast. 

​Jake and I spent 11 days backpacking the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail in April with Sammy, our Red Heeler rescue dog. We intended to do a thru hike but found that thru hiking wasn’t our thing so we opted to get off trail and start traveling around the United States!

We thought we would share our experience of our 77.8 mile section hike!

​When out for an adventure, no matter the length, it is important to be prepared! Whether on a short day hike or a 2 week backcountry trip, the type of pack you bring and the gear you have with you can make or break your get-away! So be prepared for your next excursion and see what is recommended!

​​PACK
For a day hike, a pack that is about 18 – 25L normally works the best. It just depends on how much stuff you like to carry or if you are carrying gear for you and your hiking partner. I find the Osprey Hikelight 18L is just perfect for me because it has a frame which keeps the pack off my back and allows for better ventilation while on the trail. Also, there are a few areas to store gear. 

We will be bringing Sammy, our youngest dog, with us on our thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. He is a 38lb red heeler mix that we adopted last August. He is such a character and full of energy! We are getting him all geared up for the trip and even bought him special dog food. For those looking to do the same with their dog, here is what we have learned to prepare our little fur baby for the trip!

With this being our first thru hike we did quite a bit of research on the particulars of bringing a dog. ​

​Debt is like the heavy weight being carried around with us everywhere we go. Every purchase, activity, vacation, or meal, thinking in the back of our minds: “Can we afford this? Should we really be spending our money on this?” It sucks and after 24 months of diligently working on paying off our debt, using the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, we are DEBT FREE (excluding our home)! ​We didn’t want to be like the average American 

What better way to bring in the new year than with some skiing? We went to Red Lodge, MT to enjoy some cross country and downhill skiing with a few friends. There were sub-zero temperatures, cribbage, beer, hot-tubing and lots of snow!

For some a vehicle can just be a mode of transportation to get them from point A to point B. For others a vehicle can be their pride and joy, part of their identity, their passion. I fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum and I sold Betty Blue today and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. 

I wouldn't consider myself a car person by any stretch of the imagination but I have dreamed about having a Honda CRV for a good decade. I made that dream a reality in May of 2017 by purchasing a 2015 Certified, Pre-Owned Honda CRV EX from the dealer! I felt so accomplished. It was my vehicle that I had purchased after I 

​For the last 9 years I have planned a ski trip with friends where we do some big mountain skiing. Living in the Midwest this yearly retreat is a must for me because I absolutely adore skiing! The feel of the wind on my face as I maneuver down the mountain, the quiet all around me when I have a run all to myself, the smell of pine, and the burn of my legs when I go down a double black diamond and realize I have gone too far to turn back and 

Well it’s official, starting in the early spring of 2019, Jake and I along with our 1 year old rescue dog, Sammy, will begin our 6 month journey on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. We will go northbound (NOBO) from Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia and work our way through 14 states and end in Baxter State Park in Maine! The trail is 2,190 miles and we estimate it will take us 139 days to complete excluding setbacks due to injury, sickness or weather. We are ramping up this fall to quit our jobs next year and start traveling full time.