I return to Latin America for adventure travel in Ecuador, wondering whether familiar thrills can still make the world feel new to me again.
The Third Decade
Turning thirty, I look back on grief, love, adventure and wisdom – and the chaotic decade that taught me just how much I love being alive.
Pico de Aneto – Day 4: One Last Cruel Joke
An energetic final morning turns into icy swims, a cancelled bus and one last exhausting march through the Vallibierna Valley into Benasque.
Pico de Aneto – Day 3: The Wrong Choice
We skip the spa after Aneto and face scree, panic, swollen knees and a brutal ten-hour trek through the Pyrenees to Cap de Llauset.
Pico de Aneto – Day 1: The Calm Before the Climb
I travel from Barcelona to La Renclusa with a chaotic new trekking crew, marmots, mountain views and one daunting summit ahead.
Pico de Aneto
I agree to climb Pico Aneto with an ex, his eccentric friends and a long-time crush, despite my bad knee and complete lack of preparation.
Theth: Breathless in the Alps
I hike to Theth’s Blue Eye and Grunas Waterfall, survive an icy plunge and a terrifying drive, then unwind in Shkodër at dusk.
Valbona to Theth: Paradise Awaits
I cross the Accursed Mountains from Valbona to Theth, only to discover that the village at the end moves me more than the trail itself.
Valbona: Chasing a Wilder Life
I cross Lake Koman to Valbona, where adventure envy, a fairytale cabin and a sudden storm awaken my craving for a wilder kind of travel.
Jordan Trail – Day 3: Prehistoric Paths
I cross Furon’s wildest trails, finding dinosaur tracks, alien sandstone, camp yoga, mansaf and a very noisy Yahtzee ritual.