And So It Begins...
Why does one start a blog? I'm sure you will get a different answer from anyone you ask. Maybe it is an outlet for them to pour out whatever is on their mind. I will admit that writing down thoughts is soothing and psychologically helpful to process what is going on in the day to day. Sometimes writing helps you find answers. Sometimes it does not. Either way it does help to just acknowledge and document so you can file away whatever you have seen, heard, done or are thinking at that time. Some people blog to remember and share moments, ideas or photos. Others like to blog to help and/or connect with people that might have the same interests, questions or experiences. Some bloggers love to conduct reviews about items that they have used and loved... or not loved if that is the case. Whatever the reason I feel all bloggers have one thing in common... a passion.
Hi! My name is Chana! You can pronounce that however you like. I've heard them all. LOL! I'm an
interior designer by day, but a nature lover 24/7. It didn't start off that way. My parents were not the hiking type and thus it was more of a passion that I learned to love later in life, yet at a slower pace due to lack of exposure. Sometimes you just need that right experience, friend or partner to show you the way; to open your eyes to something new or to what might have been in front of you the whole time. In the beginning I would hike with my friends on the weekend. It was not all the time, but when we did I loved it! I loved the clean air in my lungs, the feeling of pushing myself, the sounds, the smells, the stories and the laughter. After high-school I met my ex and moved away. We got married, had kids, started careers and somehow life just got busy. Hiking was not a passion that my ex shared with me, but sometimes I would hike with my sister and her family, although distance made that difficult after I moved away. Almost 20 years later my ex and I divorced and a year later I met David.
When I met David my eyes opened up again. Deep down inside we were both lovers of nature and together we were able to spark an even greater passion that might not have otherwise been found. It just seemed like we clicked on so many levels, and a big part of that had to do with the outdoors. We found ourselves hiking all the time, relaxing by campfires, vacationing to far away places and exploring the locations on a deeper level than I had before. A year ago we moved out of the city and into a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains that we can hike up whenever we please by just walking out our front door. To say I love it would not be enough! The ignited passion has saved me. It has brought me to a place of calm and peace that brings me happiness. Not every day is blissful. I'm still getting there, but with each day I get closer and closer to where I'm supposed to be.
My hiking, camping and world viewing ... forever best friend and partner, David
Ok, on to lighter topics. I'm not a super deep person. I love to have fun in my own quiet little world, but at the same time I love to share my passions with others. Do you know that feeling when you are so happy and excited about something that you just have to shout it from the rooftops? Something flips a switch in your head that sparks a fire that cannot be snuffed out. It just grows bigger and bigger until you take action... and even then it just grows more. I know when that moment was. It happened only a few weeks ago when one of my best friends told me she was going to venture out into the world of backpacking and didn't know who she was going to do it with, but that she was going to do it. I instantly knew that is what I wanted to do. Yes! Let's go backpacking! Of course I've been hiking, camping and RV'ing. I've done those a million times. Now backpacking... when you get into backpacking, that is a whole new game that I had only daydreamed about before, but never really jumped into. That same day I started diving into research. David was on board too and also started researching what we would need to get started.
The family that hikes together... drops dead tired together!
So this all brings me back to the initial question... "Why do I blog?" Well I blog when I know that I'm going to dive into something that I'm going to do a lot of research on and that I find I'm really passionate about. I've done this twice before and this will be round number 3 for me as far as blogging goes. My first go around was when I was pregnant with my son and I decided I was going to cloth diaper him. Strange for most, I know... but you just never know what is going to spark that fire in you. LOL! Some love food. Some love photography. Then there are those of us that love cute pieces of fabric that babies are going to poop and pee in. Haha! But yes, I love cloth diapering and I blogged on that for a few years till my son no longer wore diapers and those days were gone. Right after that I became a surrogate for a friend of mine. I knew from the beginning that I didn't want to forget an experience so rewarding, so I documented every week that went by for that year and a half of trying to conceive and through pregnancy. That was 7 years ago now and I still look back on those days fondly via my blog. If you want to check my previous blogs out, you can still find them both online at Adventures In Fluff. I technically kept them on the same blog since they happened back to back... just different tabs on the same site.
Today marks the start of The Happy Hiker Blog. Who knows where it will take me, but I do know that I plan to blog about not only my journey as I dive into backpacking, but also our smaller hikes, our family life and everything in between. I love reviews, so you can bet I will be showing off any products that I find that work for us... or do not if that is the case. I also love DIY projects, so if I can not find what I need... or can not afford what I need... then you can bet I will have a DIY project to make it happen. David is even more DIY than I am, so I am sure he will have a lot of projects to share as well. Other than that, I love to take photos. My kids know me as that mom that always has her camera ready. I am sure at times they get annoyed, but they are also the first ones to flip through every page of our family trip scrapbooks (not glitter and ribbon scrapbooks, but I do go all out on Shutterfly).
My Hiking Besties! You inspire me so much. I only wish we lived closer.
So there you have it! I hope you are as excited as I am. My goal is to pass on the passion that was passed on to me. Kind of a pay it forward type of thing. David, Shannon, Liz... you all inspire the outdoorsy side of me. With every article I read, YouTube video I watch, podcast I listen to, forum that I ask questions in and person that I talk to... I appreciate all of their information so much and hope to pass it on to others so that they too can enjoy and learn from those that have inspired and taught me so much. I hope you enjoy each post in the future... but even if this is not your cup of tea, please feel free to pass on to anyone that you think might be interested in a little bit of happiness out on the trail with this Happy Hiker.
*Sneak Peak: I've been researching hammock camping and have decided to make the leap. I purchased a simple starter set so we could head out on the trail nearby to test it out tonight. I can not wait!!!
