I think if our clothes could tell the tales of the places they have been and the adventures they have experienced, shoes would have the best stories. They suffer the elements most acutely, navigating unknown roads and rocky terrain, carrying us step-by-step through epic journeys to extraordinary destinations.
For me, the shoes with the best stories to tell are my Chacos. Those shoes have taken me from the rainforest of the Pacific Northwest to the deserts of Jordan, from the wilds of the Wisconsin north woods to the jungle that is Miami University. They have accompanied me on a canoe trip through the North Cascades, climbed up the Monastery of the ancient city of Petra, rode a camel in Wadi Rum, toured the Great pyramids of Giza, wandered around the Valley of the Kings, floated down the Nile, rushed up Mt. Sinai to catch a sunrise, and even experienced Easter Sunday at the garden tomb in Jerusalem.
And OH! the people they have met: my beloved NOLS friends, my fellow adventurers throughout the Middle East, the girls of Whiskey Business, all my fort friends, who inspire me each day to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and Kelli and Carly, my sisters, best friends and the two most beautiful people I know.
Now I look forward to the new places they will go. I have been blessed with incredible experiences throughout college but now I embark on the next great adventure: life after college. I have no idea where this journey will take me but I trust my Chacos will come along for the ride and tell some beautiful stories along the way.
