A Real Chick Christmas Note From MJ

Today was a great day for this RC.


Saturday before our hike I spoke with Shannon Smith from HER Magazine who is doing a story on the Real Chicks. How cool! We spoke for a few moments before the hike and I mentioned how being a RC is really about a lot more than hiking. It’s about relationships, and attitude, and an adventurous spirit. Our friendships go beyond the outdoors to encompass jobs and kids and faith and more. She was intrigued and decided to join a few of us for lunch to get more details.

12/22/10

Lunch today was wonderful; we went to Ingredient at Midtown Crossing which is my favorite spot lately. Carla, Eleanor, Cara, April and I met Shannon and spent at least an hour telling her about our lives as real women who happen to have a common interest in outdoor pursuits and fitness.

I sat in amazement listening to our conversations.

I’m a Marian High School (which is all female) girl and to me that means I have always known that I have every reason to be a confident, capable leader (even in a male dominated field). It also means I come from a background of being around a lot of really strong, wonderful women. It’s just my expectation that women are capable of doing great things.

I was amazed listening today because it is really remarkable how a hiking group created such amazing friends, and how our friendships have greatly enriched and even changed our lives. Today made me celebrate this community for what it is and gain perspective that our group is unique and that a lot of women don’t have the amazing support system we do as RCs, or like I had in high school.

I love being a real chick because I am inspired by my friends to be a better person and to live life more fully. It is a blessing to be in a community where healthy eating is the norm, being active is a common pursuit and is fun, and chasing dreams is the only acceptable option. We get along wonderfully and we can count on each other for support – no matter how crazy our goals.

This Christmas season I have been frustrated with myself for rushing through my shopping and not stopping to visit with people I know that I have run into along the way. Christmas isn’t about getting stuff done or crossing items off the list. I want to keep perspective on the season. Spending the lunch hour being grateful for my friendships was the perfect way to get me back on track. Merry Christmas!

Exploring North Carolina

 I've been in North Carolina for the past 5 days, enjoying my bf's amazing family and friends...and doing a little exploration. His family owns 113 acres of woods, creeks and "kissing trees" in Eden, NC and, having never been to that area before, I took to the hills on several occasions to wander through the leaf-laden forest floor.

 In the rural south, one can find all sorts of treasure out in the woods...both wanted and unwanted. The homes around Eden are incorporated into the landscape in a way I hadn't seen before, which means that old tobacco barns and chimneys appear out of nowhere along trails. Unfortunately, so does a lot of illegal dumping.
  All of the pictures to follow were taken on the family land. I was able to collect a few interesting old glass bottles from the rubble I passed, although (as an avid fan of American Pickers) I didn't come across any priceless antiques. Dang! It was amazing to see the land taking over all of the discarded rubbish along the way. The bottles growing ferns inside, old shoes being devoured by moss and mold, young old trees overtaking an old hunting road.

 A great reminder that sometimes, the best adventures are right in your backyard.