Reinvention

Over the last few weeks, I have caught myself wandering back over to this blog. I haven't written here in 6 months and was not posting frequently then. I'm not sure why I keep typing in this web address except that all of a sudden, I'm wondering if I have something to say again. Here's the thing...it's not about hiking. At least, not in the literal sense.
 Life's been tumultuous in the last year.
* M lost his infant nephew in September
* I went to Colombia in October
* M gained a niece and nephew in November
* M turned 40 in November
* M and I got engaged in November
                          (November was particularly busy)
* I turned 30 in May
* We FINALLY closed out my dad's estate in June (it took 1 1/2 years)
* I went to France in July
* We lost our dear friend to leukemia in  July  (she was 45)
* We lost our dear friend to a brain tumor in August (he was 5)
* We get married next month
* I move to our new home next month

We have people in our lives going through new babies, adoptions, infertility, travel, cancer cancer cancer, new jobs, lost jobs, weddings, separations and so much more. So much joy, so much sadness. More than I ever remember having in any year. Is it just that I'm getting older? Are there MORE problems in the world or am I just old enough that they now happen to my peers, not my elders? Are things more extreme or does it just appear that they are?

All of this is making my head spin. I can't keep up and it's causing me to look for a center. A focal point. Life is generally wonderful but just as I count on the joy it brings,  I don't anticipate "life" slowing down or getting easier, I think it may be time to do a little self-rediscovery. As the saying goes, you don't know where you're going unless you know where you've been. I have a few ideas on how to pursue this, which I'll post as I go. Maybe my first step was to find my way back to this blog and take a walk down real chick memory lane. For now, this blog isn't going to be about outdoor adventuring or best places to hike with your dog. IT will be about a real chick, hiking her way through life.