Hey y’all, I’m Mary.

I’m a writer, long-distance hiker, and hostel owner living and working in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

My work is centered on the beauty of the outdoors, finding your way off the beaten path, and exploring what it takes to get there. You’ll see my love for the outdoors reflected in my online journal and blog, my upcoming memoir, and in my photography.

“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.”

-Mary Oliver, In Blackwater Woods

Check out my Instagram, where I share bite-sized writings, photos from my life + travels, and musings.

We’re back at it folks! #wipwednesday number 8 is on my Substack. Check your inbox, or tap the link in my bio. 😉 “As I approached the bottom landing, I felt the guilt that had been churning in my stomach give way to awe and realization
Near my apartment, there’s a church with a double-sided sign out front. Recently, someone switched around the letters to write: “Out of the Cocoon,” and on the other side, “We Fly.” Half a block away, as I walked my dai
Today’s #wipwednesday excerpt is from my first solo backpacking trip. I’d done a couple short overnights in Louisiana, but after I got my Wilderness First Aid cert, I drove into the Nantahala Wilderness and set out on a 3 day, 2 night tri