I'm Jenna, and I never intended to become a nomad hiker or write a blog. I've always loved outdoor excursions in my beloved home state of Montana, but I never had a desire to be a nomad. Montana was home and that's where I would always belong, end of story.
And then one day, life threw a curveball. My husband's job sent us on a temporary assignment across the continent to Montreal, Quebec. This would be for up to 6 years and would be a huge life change for someone who'd lived in small-town Montana on the edge of the wilderness her whole life. But my daughter was grown and I was ready for a break from my stressful job, so it was time to take the plunge, leave my entire family, hiking buddy of 20+ years, and way of life behind, move across the continent and try something new. Now that I say it out loud, it sounds a little crazy.
As I packed the last of my things in the back of my Jeep, along with my car-ride-hating kitty, I ventured into an arctic February blizzard for the next 2,400 miles to join my husband, who had left a month prior. I had no idea what doors would be opening or that this drive with my poor cat would become the inspiration of several more cross-country road trips. I felt like this was the impromptu road trip you're supposed to take when you're 18 and don't know any better, but here I was, 20 years late, hoping I was at least smarter than my 18-year old self would have been because I sure did know better and was still going to do it anyway.
So let's be honest. Montana and Montreal couldn't be more different if they tried. I quickly learned that city life and being surrounded by a large population was not for me. Living in suburbia in a foreign country felt so awkward and uncomfortable for us when we were used to being surrounded by forest, not being able to see our neighbors, and having grizzly bears and mountain lions as the local wildlife. Our daily commutes used to involve playing a game of dodge-the-deer on the highway. Now we swerved to avoid insane drivers in tiny cars that would fit in the bed of my husband's truck and didn't care to stay in their own lane. Our neighbors were incredibly kind and gracious, but I'm pretty sure it was apparent to everyone that we were outsiders and didn't belong there.
I found myself making every possible effort to get out of the city and head for the tranquility of the nearby Adirondack Mountains of New York or Green Mountains of Vermont. Finding friends who wanted to join the kind of adventures I liked to do proved to be difficult, and I constantly felt like I didn't know where I belonged anymore. I definitely didn't belong in Montreal, but I technically couldn't claim anywhere else, either (although Montana will always feel like home). So with my hubby's full support, I soon planned several solo adventures to explore destinations further away and discovered a love of being on the road to somewhere new. My bike, kayak, and hiking boots went everywhere with me.
As I posted my adventures on my personal social media pages for family and friends, several people started to ask if I'd started a blog and suggested submitting my photos to National Geographic (while I love photography, I'm a complete novice and get lucky with some epic shots after taking thousands). After giving it some serious thought, I decided to give it a shot and this site is the result so far (this is a work in progress and adding all of my content will take some time). I hope it inspires you to get outside and explore something new!