If you’ve met us, you know we love to be outdoors. Hiking is one of our favorite activities, and we try to hit a trail as often as possible. (Even in NE, where there really isn’t any great hiking to speak of, lol!) Whenever we have an opportunity, we will travel to find good hiking. When I took this picture, I was sitting on a small bluff overlooking a beautiful piece of Iowa countryside. I looked down at my boots and realized they have been all over the world! It struck me as kind of a cool thought. The idea of the places we go and what we take with us when we leave, kind of stuck with me, so I thought, why not write about it!?
One of the first places these boots traveled was a mountain peak in Flagstaff, AZ! At just under 13,000 ft elevation, they made it all the way to the top of Mt Humphreys! Incredible! They have hiked all over Sedona’s many breathtaking trails over multiple trips. They have been backpacking in South Dakota’s Badlands twice; covered many miles on multiple trails in Colorado and, most notably, the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayan Mountains, Nepal! (I will save my adventures in Nepal for a future post). And as I stated earlier, so much exploring of the trails and parks in and around Omaha & western IA. They have faced wild buffalo, big horn sheep, and rattlesnakes! They have given me sure footing on snow and ice and have been my vehicle for countless priceless memories!
I owe a lot to these boots!
In a way, these boots helped to contribute to the birth of Small Escapes. It is because of our love for hiking that we even thought of starting a short-term rental business in the first place. Creating a space in nature for couples to relax and reconnect is what we are all about!
If you’ve ever stood and looked out over a beautiful view, you take the pictures and try to soak it all in as much as you can in that moment because you know that as soon as you walk away, you will never have that moment back. The picture will not do it justice, and in time the beauty of the memory will fade.
However, even though the details will be lost over time, the memory of that moment will stick with you forever! Who you were with, the conversations you had, the laughter, the tears, the blisters, and the sunburn. It all contributes to a moment in time that was yours and no one can take that away. If my boots could talk, they could tell so many stories. So many precious moments that have helped to shape who I am today. We carry our memories with us always, and I am so thankful for the ones I have made while wearing these old boots!
So ya, I owe a lot to these boots, and long after they are unwearable, I will still have what they gave me. Time doing what I love with the people that I love. That is what I take with me when I step off the trail. I can’t wait to lace them up again soon and create another beautiful moment in time, enjoying the beauty of nature and the gift of another memory.
