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Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains.  

In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies." 

1.  Awakening to a spectacular sunrise on Lake of the Clouds,  Blissful walks into a the magical and primeval hemlock forest. 
2. She meets the Big Carp River and enchanted by its silvery cascades on volcanic rock. 
3.  A short walk along Lake Superior and she's back in forest following another river, the Little Carp where she camps next to a pool reflecting gold and red  fall colors. 
4. The next day she  climbs to the high point at Summit Peak, then down to  gorgeous Mirror Lake and finally a private site on a beaver pond filled with nature's sound including chipmunks, owls, beaver and a howling wolf. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains.  

In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies." 

In this episode:

1.  Blissful visits this magical place, a wilderness state park of 35,000 acres of primary stand hemlock amidst a massive volcanic uplift above Lake Superior. 
2. Her first day is along the escarpment above Lake of the Clouds to her stunning campsite with a large rock apron looking out to the astounding view. 
3. Birds and a wolf celebrate the setting sun and the stars coming out. 
4. As she crawls into her tent, an acorn bombardment spooks her reminding her that this is indeed a wilderness. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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This week, Blissful Hiker completes the list of ten lessons from the trail that are helping her now.

In this episode:

7) :38 Everything changes  “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

8) 1:50 You will never pass this way again  "Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip."

9) 3:26 Let go and forgive  "Forgiveness is the economy of the heart… forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits."

10) 5:41 You are stronger than you think you are  "If I waited for perfection, I’d never write a word."

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now.

In this episode:

:38 Let the day unfold  “I think that’s what I love about my life. There’s no maniacal master plan. It’s just unfolding before me.”

3:02 Trail Angels exist "That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing."

5:10 The point of a thru hike is not to triumph  "The goal of life … is not happiness, peace, or fulfillment, but aliveness."

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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 This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now.

In this episode:

1:30 Take Risks “The most hopeful thing you are doing is taking these months to repair your body for the next hikes.”

3:42 Stay in the Present Moment Experience fully what each day brings, the surprises and tiny victories. 

6:12 Practice Patience "Life is already too short to waste on speed." 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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One year ago Blissful Hiker set her feet on the Arizona Trail and planned to return to walk the final 100 miles, but an injury interrupted the trip.
 
In this episode:

1. This time of year is called "Lent" and is all about waiting and preparing, as well as contemplating the brevity of our lives.
2. An injury is like that, a close up look at vulnerability. Learning to manage the frustration teaches us how to embrace our lives. 
3. A long walk – and the weak place of injury – helps bring the hiker closer to the spirit, letting go of control and worry and trusting in the "peace that transcends all understanding."

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Regret can actually act as the motivating fuel to push us towards our goals.

1. Phrases like "no regrets!" are helpful in keeping us focussed on the future and not on mistakes from the past.
2. And yet, looking with openness at what we regret from the past can help us build up the courage  we need in our present to take risks. 
3. And then we are better able to choose what matters most projecting the idea of regret into the future. 
4.  See a picture from Blissful's past. 
5. Listen to the podcast episode all about taking risks.

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker shares the reasons she hikes alone, to get grounded, to engage more deeply with the world around me and to do so at my own pace.

1. Being alone in nature has been practiced by all civilizations to build self-reliance and connect with the spirit.
2. As Emily Dickinson said, "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." 
3. But that does not mean that you shouldn't prepare by taking the Ten Essentials including telling someone where you're going, and when to expect you to return.
4. I have added professional speaker to my "bag of tricks." If you'd like me to speak to your group, contact me! 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful answers burning backpacking questions in the first round of "Ask Me Anything." 

In this episode:

1:26 – How do you secure your bag when checking it at the airport?
3:06 – Do you pack hiking poles on international trips or buy when you get there?
6:20 – How do you choose when to use rubber tips on your trekking poles?
8:36 – How do you take care of contact lenses on trail?
10:25 – How do you know so many bird names, plant names and tree names as you hike?
11:50 – How do you keep all your pictures straight in your mind and know what is out there in the woods, country, mountains, etc?
13:49 – No experience with long distance hiking. How did you prepare, to be sure you will make it?

click here to ask your question 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful meets the Southern Terminus of the AZT just as a windstorm picks up on the Utah/Arizona border.

In this episode:

1. After a night in the "cowpie" field – flat and squishy – Blissful sleeps well under moon shadows. 
2. It's easy walking towards Vermillion Cliffs where she meets a couple of hikers who give her sage advice about making intentional decisions and looking for people who communicate with her in her emotional language. 
3. Angry clouds build as a sandstorm builds and she races to the end.

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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