100th Post

Hey there you - thanks for being here! This is my 100th Substack post, and it’s a bit of a milestone for me in many ways. I’m not sure I’ve ever been as diligently dedicated to a project in my life as much as I have been to this one. But that makes sense, I suppose. The writing I’ve done here has been a lifesaver for me. It started as Facebook posts and essays that were essentially grief journaling. Though at the time, I didn’t know what that was.

I had never journaled before. Never written much at all about personal topics or feelings in my life. Which might sound like an odd thing for a “Writer” to say, but I got into writing solely as a means of making a living outdoors. So I wrote about trails and travel for different publications. Nothing against most travel magazines or guidebooks, but getting too personal isn’t typically encouraged in those outlets. It’s just not the platform for it. Then again, I never really had the urge to write anything particularly introspective or meaningful before February 25th, 2022.

I initially started this Substack as a way to continue processing my own grief, but also perhaps be of some benefit to others. I didn’t know where it would go and I didn’t know what I was doing. Little has changed. :-) But it’s grown into something more. As I continued my walk with grief, my walks in nature provided further inspiration. And the topics and tones that I regularly touch on have broadened, which I’m enjoying immensely. And I sincerely hope anybody else reading them is finding some value, inspiration, or entertainment as well. I’m excited to see where things will be when we arrive at the 200th post.

But for now, I thought it might be fun to reflect on the first 100 and highlight some of my favorites. Fun for me, anyway. If you’ve been a subscriber for a while some of these might be repeats. My apologies. Just consider this my Substack version of a sitcom “bottle episode.” :-)

That’s Not Me, Mom - The fact that these Mom stories are 100% real makes them all the more fun to write. :-)

Kara’s Notes - A few treasures were recovered from the fire. For me, the drawer that contained Kara’s notes, which was somehow miraculously spared, was the greatest.

Family Portrait - Taking the piss out of my kinfolk.

You Grow the Way You Have to Grow - Perspectives found in nature.

The Lines on a Face - We are all aged by both the good and the bad that life has to offer.

Things the Ocean Does - My first foray into rhyming things :-)

Room 5 - About the place that saved my soul after the loss.

Cabbage Rolls and Other Ways to Say I Love You - Undoubtedly my favorite heartwarming essay.

Whiskey Jane - The off-grid home that was lost to the fire.

Still Remains - My evolving feelings regarding the remains of a loved one.

All essays are available at any time on the Archive page. Thanks again for being here!