Schoolwork, Extracurriculars...and Hiking. Always Hiking.

I have already passed on most of the blogging privileges/responsibilities to Alex when it comes to our trip reports.  Alex will share the blogging with her sister, Sage, when Sage reaches the age of 13.  Both girls enjoy writing, and they both obviously enjoy hiking, so it's appropriate that as they each grow older, their voices are heard more and more.  I have been the voice behind our adventures for long enough...it is their turn now; the torch has been passed.

That being said, I'll chime in from time to time, and I'll keep posting photos so I can keep records for myself of our hikes.  We hike so often that I need the reminder of what we did and when, especially when it comes to keeping track for the NH Grid.  I keep a paper record and I back up all photos, but it is nice to also have a record on this blog.

A note regarding Alex and her blogging these days -- she is fitting in the blogging, and both she and Sage are fitting in the Global Fund for Women fundraising, between a mountain of schoolwork and other extracurricular activities.  Both girls are taking high school classes now, though each are not yet of usual high school age.  This is one of the reasons we homeschool, so they can take the courses that work for them at their own individual levels.  This means that both girls have high school-level homework and tests, so they need to spend a lot of time with their studies.  They are each extremely involved with karate (tournament circuits and everything...the whole shebang), Girl Scouts, artwork, a local math circle, enrichment classes here and there, plus they make time to connect with their friends.  Our blogs only detail the hiking part of their lives -- and that hiking part is indeed a huge part of their lives - but each girl is an individual with a large variety of interests and committed involvement in numerous activities.  All this is to say that right now, Alex gets on her blog once a week to write her reports.  She greatly appreciates the comments and support!  Please understand if she responds to your comment the next time she writes a trip report as opposed to the same day you posted, though.  She better manages her overall time when she has one specified time each week to write and manage her blog.

I am immensely proud of both my girls and these past 14 years have been a wonderful journey.  I understand how lucky I am to have experienced so many hikes and trails with my two daughters, and I look forward to the next five to seven years and all the adventures those years will bring.

After both girls go off to college, I'll probably hike the AT to help me through Empty Nest Syndrome.  That's still seven years away though...in the meantime, I'll keep enjoying the trails and mountains with my two girls, and they'll tell you about those trails and adventures on their blogs.

Happy Hiking, Peregrinas.