I grew up at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Hickory, NC. I spent most of my childhood summers in Linville. I love to hike, camp, kayak, ski — you name it. Not only has my love for nature taken me on some pretty incredible adventures to some pretty awesome places, but it also keeps me grounded and balanced.
I am the worlds okay-est runner. I’ve run three half marathons and a modest slew of 10k and 15ks. The clearest and most obvious reason I put running on here is because it does so much to keep my head clear. Running regularly helps me manage my stress and helps keep me disciplined. It’s also developed my mental stamina which helps with long days in the newsroom and long nights at the library.
The less obvious (and maybe more important) way running shapes who I am is that it’s forced me to be comfortable with not being good at something. Despite the time I spend training, I’m not the fastest or best by any capacity. I had to learn how to stop running for recognition and start running for myself. It’s cheesy, but I think it changed how I approach my work, too. I’m not worried about being the best or collecting a series of titles, I’m worried about doing my best work.
The more places I go, the more places I want to go. Travel is such a special and important way to see the world. You obviously learn so much about places and meet incredibly cool people that you never would have otherwise crossed paths with. It gives you a much wider worldview (literally and metaphorically).
But in a lot of ways, traveling has also made me a lot more appreciative for where I live. Coming home to an awesome community of friends and family, a cozy little room and work that’s exciting is a blessing.
This story is less inspiring... baking bread is honestly just fun. Between class and work schedules, I survive off of a lot of meal prepped food. When I do have some time on the weekend to let some dough rise, it’s a fun way to have something that feels pretty special
