And the water is something that continues to ground me every day, every week of my life. It is constantly keeping me grounded and on a path that I want to be on. So I want that for other people. And if they’re water people I want them to discover and have that relationship and for the water strength to become their strength. I think it changes everything. Even your embodiment. It shifts the way you move around in the world.

I feel like I most identify with water. I feel like in many aspects water is present. My first kayaking and rafting courses helped me become comfortable on the water because it allowed me to understand the rivers. And ever since then I’ve tried to find ways to be on the water each summer. That’s why I became a river guide and paddling instructor. Water is what ties me to my ancestral land in the Southwest and as a child I was always taught to respect it and cherish it. And that carries through to today and on multi day river trips where I feel completely at ease.

Backpacking can be and should be fun and exciting. I started to shift my mindset and let myself bring a few unnecessary items that could enhance my experience, not physically, but emotionally.