Fall in Arizona: Adventure in the Midst of Mayhem

The San Fransisco Peaks in the distance from Buffalo Park.

So many things happened in the last few months and it was a bummer not to be writing about it in this little blog space of mine, but school was too consuming that I couldn't spare a minute to write. Who wants to spend free time at the computer when school already forces a solid 40 hours of screen time in your face? Any extra time was spent outside exploring the desert, and I'm stoked to catch up and write about all the trails and treasures from this past fall.

I finished my first semester of my doctorate in OT and started training seriously for a marathon. Justin began full time work at a local high-end cabinet shop and continued his pursuit of ultra running, accompanied by some big performances including a win at UROC. It was a struggle at times to balance life while heavily grieving for the loss of my dad and trying to get out on the weekends, but I have little to complain about. There is so much that we do have and I am grateful for those around us who we get to share experiences with, making the ride worthwhile, even during low points. We kept busy every weekend and hit new trails on each outing - and there's still so much yet to be discovered.

Justin was my sense of calm to the mayhem of my first semester in grad school. He made every weekend adventure possible by pulling most of the weight. I am most thankful for his driving during our weekend escapades, in which I always sat in the back seat of the car and created a little study zone so I could crank out assignments. I personally hate driving so he really took one for the team!

The view outside our window at Flagstaff Ranch during the Flagstaff SkyRace.

We are extremely lucky to have friends in Flagstaff who let us stay at their home on a regular basis, which also makes our weekend adventures possible. The Flagstaff community is one of the best things in our lives at the moment; even if we can't live in the mountains we are close in proximity, which was a big reason we chose to move to Arizona. We are nomads at heart and our relationship has grown through years of travel and on-the-go type living so our current lifestyle is nothing new. I'm just fortunate to have someone that is always willing to seize the adventure with me.

I'm looking forward to a long winter break before next semester so I can recharge on the trails! You can be sure to find new stories of our recent shenanigans in the next few weeks.