An Introduction and Such

Hey all—I am Ella (she/hers) and am heading out for my NOBO AT attempt on March 19. Exciting, cool, scary stuff. I am 22, a Minnesotan, Badger alumnus. 

If you are interested in a brief rundown of my gear, jump to the end. 

If you are looking for something a little bit sentimental and a lot bit chaotic, you’re in the right place. 

I had intentions of publishing my first post the week of Valentine’s Day with hopes of showcasing my big-time wit joking about my new, full-coverage wool undies. My kitty, Neville, decided to have a health crisis and saved you all. I headed back to MN from my Madison excursion and pet my cat instead of getting on the Trek scene (he survived and went from being a cute free farm kitty to a cute big-money high-class king).

All of my gear seems to be in order, my boxer sleep bottoms the final item in transit. I had my final two days at work this past weekend (huge s/o to the Good Life Cafe in Park Rapids, MN for being a rockstar). Many Spotify playlists downloaded. My favorite socks packed up. As far as I am concerned, everything I can control is in order. 

Neville being close to kicking the can was a bit of an unwelcome reminder that I am about to be quite far from home for quite some time. I was only five hours away when he played with our heartstrings and it is disconcerting to think about something going awry with the folks I love and not being accessible. Which probably isn’t a one-sided feeling? Time to get a little more comfortable with things I cannot control. 

This walk has been on the docket for close to two years. I have graduated, moved, started and now finished a new gig. Although this has all been the result of planning a six-month sabbatical, connection and familiarity are still difficult to abandon. It feels like I am leaving something really awesome behind because I am. Which is really a lovely, bittersweet thing to realize. 

This is pretty brief. I don’t really expect to be writing much more than this at a time—instead hoping to post more often. Who knows what will actually end up happening. I certainly hope it does not end up feeling like a chore.

I am going to attempt to throw in a screenshot with gear info. This is what I used to keep myself on track; there are a couple of things not listed that are accompanying me. The descriptions are brief at best. Absolutely ask if there is anything that you’d like some clarity on. 

Also– Neville :))