It’s been three months since I left Nashville. Here’s a look at that time in numbers:

• ONE – 4000 footers I’ve hiked
• THREE – fires I’ve built
• FIVE – different outdoor education classes I’ve led
• SEVEN – bags of coffee I’ve been through
• EIGHT – states I’ve slept in
• NINE – kitchens in which I’ve baked (ten if we count the beach)
• NINETEEN – breweries I’ve visited
• TWENTY FIVE- students I’ve had in field groups

This past month, in particular, has been rather challenging. Although my life has looked more stable than the previous two months, there have been so many unknowns. My day to day life has slowly found a rhythm…that continually gets disrupted. The weather, my site location, the students in my group (or not being assigned a group for the week), other people feeling chatty/catty.

It’s been a struggle to find the things that keep me sane in the midst of this chaotic life. I get up early to drink coffee and knock out work for Corner to Corner. My weekends are spent hiking (alone). And I randomly take off to explore new corners of the property. When life is chaotic and full of unexpected twists and turns, it’s important to find those things that ground you – whether it’s people, systems or habits. This month has been full of opportunities to hone in on each of those. Yes – even the people.