Wanderlust Walking & Wine: September 2014

You have brains in your head,
You have feet in your shoes,
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
-Dr. Seuss

A few years ago we watched the movie "The Way." Afterwards, we sat out by the pool at our South Texas home and imagined what it might be like to take a month off and walk through Spain. But who has a month to do that?

Thad has always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail (which is something I have zero interest in - I'm just not into camping, and quite frankly, am not that hearty). I have always wanted to climb Machu Picchu, and explore Peru. He thought it would be a great adventure too. So, the next day, I booked our trip to Peru for the upcoming year.

It's funny how life throws you curve balls.

We haven't made it to Peru just yet, and our lives are completely different than they were on that warm coastal evening. Instead of Peru, we relocated to Nashville. Our quality of life has increased exponentially, and we are both happier than we could have ever imagined. Thad has a job he loves at a top ranked hospital. I renovated our new home, and started a small business. Nashville also renewed our love of the outdoors, walking, and hiking. It is the most beautiful place I have ever lived.

Me at our favorite hiking spot in Nashville, Percy Warner Park

May 2014 - Once again we find ourselves in front of the TV, flipping through Netflix, and what jumps out? Yep. "The Way." 20 minutes into it, and we have decided that we have to do it....and soon.

So that was it. We decided that October would be our month. We began ramping up from walking our two Labs a couple of miles around our neighborhood, to 30 miles a week over very hilly terrain. Our legs strengthened, we added backpacks, and eventually extra pack weight.