Zipsss is back!!!

Hiya Hikers!

I’m baccckkkk! It’s been almost two years since I finished the Appalachian Trail. So much has happened since then, where to begin?! After the AT I spent some time with my friends and family before heading over to spend time with my English family. What was meant to be a visit turned into six months of taking care of my Nana during the end of her time with Parkinson’s. I am so very grateful I was in a position to be able to do that. I also got to spend some real quality time getting to know my Aunt while I was there and I cherish all of that time mucho.

Then I hopped back over to Virginia to help my Dad out who was gifted a bonus round on life-in the form of a new liver. It was an emotionally draining time, but I am so lucky to still have my Papa Bear here on Earth with me. My little bro came over to give me some R&R time from helping Dad, during which I thru hiked the Tuscarora Trail-shew-that was a beast! I had more sense of accomplishment from finishing that than I did after finishing the AT!

I stumbled across a job opportunity in Antarctica while I was taking care of Papa Bear…which of course I applied for and was super duper stoked to get! So, I’ve just spent an entire year at the bottom of the world, in a frozen tundra. The coldest, windiest, driest place on Earth. It was a hell of a year. My flight from Antarctica brought me to New Zealand, where all my backpacking gear just happened to be waiting for me.

It’s been a week since I left the ice and I’m so incredibly excited to start my next adventure tomorrow morning…a 3.5 month thru-hike of New Zealand’s, Te Araroa Trail!

Let’s gooooooo!!!