Return of the reminiscing

Hello internets! I’ve missed you, but life in the real world has demanded all of my attention lately. The good news is: I’m back – and I’ve got so much fun stuff to share from my time offline!

It all started in March. Delightful Dalat was actually just the first of three big races for us – in six weeks! Adding to the madness was a family reunion that came together at the last minute and in-between two of those races. Hot on the heels of the third race followed an epic exploration of a brand new place – a place we’d been dreaming about visiting for ages. And finally, we are just now landing on our feet after making a major move!

Korea: many, many more mountains!

With so much good stuff on the go, I almost don’t know where to start! But I think based on the fact that many of my readers come here for Korean mountains, I’m going to add some new stuff in that area first. We wound up back in Korea again (don’t we always!) on a layover during the last leg of our journey. Delighted to be back and based in Seoul, we spent a lot of time enjoying spring in Bukhansan National Park! And that’s not all: we also finally got certified for completing the Seoul Trail – and we ran the Seoul City Wall Trail too! Perhaps best of all, we found a new provincial park in Gyeonggido! And those are just the most recent adventures – there’s also the rest of Korea’s 100 famous summits (last year’s big mission!). So stay tuned for all that good stuff – that will be coming up next.

The author, captured in midair - a jump photo! This vertical image is special because it features one of the famous traditional gates of Seoul. The author is wearing a grey sweater and plaid shorts. There are a few people in the background, nearer to the gate.
Seoul City Trail fun!

Two rad races

Also high on my priority list is writing race reports for the second and third races in our crazy triple cup of ultras this spring. Ultra Trail Luang Prabang and Mt. Apo Skyrace were both incredible races, and I can hardly wait to tell you all about them. Two very different success stories – involving returns to two of my favorite countries!

An official Ultra-Trail Luang Prabang race photograph of Kent. In it, he is navigating a field of jagged boulders below a few thin, stark trees. The horizon of the mountain is at an angle, adding to the drama of the scene. Kent wears an intense expression, red sunglasses and short grey shorts.
My husband, ladies and gentlemen. Invite these legs to your race today!
A photograph showing the author and her husband on the top of Mt. Apo - the highest mountain in the Philippines! Both wear green shirts with green bibs pinned to them. The author stands while her husband crouches, both holding on to a sign bearing the peak's name and advising 100k runners to turn around. There is a stone cairn marking the peak, and beyond, a sea of soft, puffy clouds. A gorgeous scene!
One of the prettiest peaks of all time.

Let’s explore the world!

I’d also really like to share some other incredible places with you. Like dreamy Kauai’i and my new favorite country, New Zealand! After decades of dreaming, I finally got to visit ‘the adventure capital of the world’! Planning some posts from this most recent trip reminded me of how many other pretty places I’ve yet to share with you. I hope this will be the year that I have time to catch you up on the best active adventures in Nepal, Namibia, the Netherlands and beyond.

A selfie, featuring the author and her husband in front of the jagged red and green cliffs of Waimea Canyon. They are both grinning widely below a vast blue sky.
Enjoying the scenery in Waimea Canyon!
A vertical portrait of the author in a rocky, moon-like landscape below a perfectly cone-shaped volcano. The author wears a bright pink long-sleeved shirt and a blue backpack, which draw attention to her location in the middle of the frame. on a very faint trail. The volcano is snow-capped, piercing a clear blue sky. The author has her head turned back over her shoulder, and she appears to be laughing.
Legendary tramping in Tongariro National Park

Home sweet home

Last but definitely not least, I’m very excited to reveal our new home! It’s a secret vegan paradise, where I’ve eaten at my first buffet and delighted at the sheer variety of inexpensive fruit and veggies. We’re also right on the ocean – and for a prairie girl like me, it’s incredibly exciting to be so close to the sea! Best of all, our city is surrounded by some of the rockiest mountains I’ve had the pleasure of running in a while. If you’ll forgive a Korea comparison, our new home is just like Sokcho! You’re gonna want to come visit.

A horizontal portrait of a rugged, rocky mountain. Mount Fu, as it would be known in English, consists of a series of jagged granite slabs. In this phenomenal early-morning photo, a full moon rises in a purple sky to the side of the peaks. The author, a small figure in black and yellow, runs up a winding, overgrown cobblestone road toward the peaks.
Fushan is utterly, mind-blowingly fantastic.

You know, I consider writing about all the pretty places to be my real job. I really do! But I also have to do a different real job that funds visits to the pretty places. So please have patience. Awesome is coming.

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