About Me

Hi! I'm Kristi. I am a wanderer. I live in Wisconsin and enjoy spending my free time exploring. I am a former teacher and current college professor. I subsequently have well-earned free time that allows me to travel.

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My frequent trail buddies are my best friend, and husband, Matt, my friend Kate (trail name: Nock), and my spirited and spoiled pooch Maggie. I also try and get my two grown kids to come along when they can.

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A few years ago I hit a time in my life when I felt restless and unhappy. I am eternally curious and like to experience new things. I used to channel that through my job and through parenting. As my job evolved and my children left home, my restlessness grew. I decided to start backpacking. I have always been a hiker, snowshoer, and camper, but never a backpacker. I knew nothing about filtering water, ultralight gear, or dehydrated food. I learned as I went. I found that disappearing into nature and living simply while challenging my body settled my mind and my spirit. As someone who has hit midlife, I find that my body is regularly tempting me to relax. It has told me repeatedly that I no longer can be a long distance runner or do step aerobics. It prefers swimming and yoga. After years of athletic pursuits, every high impact activity I tried brought days of pain. Backpacking allows me to feel like I am challenging my body at a pace and intensity that I can adjust. My body is agreeable to this pursuit. Spending days on a trail, with hours of time to think, reflect, listen, and sometimes just feel, is equally exhausting and rejeuvenating.  I hope this blog allows you to feel the joy I feel on the trail and inspires you to seek.