I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my crew, Leilah Grace. Now before you get all crazy excited thinking I've added another child, partner or animal to my household, it's none of the above. Leilah Grace is me. I know you're confused, wait, isn't your name Gina? Yup, still is in fact, but Leilah Grace is also me. In the hiking community, at least on the Appalachian Trail, hikers often have trail names, maybe you've heard of Odyssa or Anish, two crazy amazing record setting, inspirational female thru hikers or maybe not. Regardless, often out on the trail you are gifted or earn a trail name. Tradition says it's a gift from someone else, but so many of the memorable people on the trails, such as these amazing women or Wrongfoot give themselves the power and create their own name.
For me, Leilah Grace, was my own gift. Funny thing, is I figured that I would be a purist and wait until someone gifted me with my trail name, but Labor Day weekend when I went on that first solo trip sometime during that night of fitful cold sleeping the name came to me a in dream. It stayed with me the entire trip and has rattled around in my head ever since. I took the time to learn more about trail names, etiquette and such from a fabulous AT women's hiking group on Facebook, and finally decided that if the name was sent to me I needed to use it. Who am I to ignore a sign and gift from above? Thus, when I set out for the holiday weekend I claimed my name. Everyone I met on the trail was introduced to Leilah Grace, the crazy solo hiking mom from PA. It was such that when I was talking to a friend I almost introduced myself as her.
It's not that she's a different person than I am, she's just a piece of me, like being a mom is a piece of me. Not a defining label or separating factor. Leilah Grace is just who I am on the trail. She's still a mom to 4 amazing, crazy kids. She's still a PhD PT, Epic analyst builder, and gymnastics coach, but she's also this amazing woman who can hike 12-20 miles a day carrying a 30# pack, pitch her tent, cook her supper and crawl into bed alone. Leilah Grace is fearless, independent and goal-oriented. Doesn't she sound just like me? It's not an alter ego, I am not Diana Prince morphing into Wonder Woman, I am still Gina on the trail, just showcasing a different piece of her.
There's something indescribable about waking up to the sunrise, packing up and setting off into the forest trail or mountain ridge in the morning with the sounds of the birds and wind and trees. Leilah Grace gets to experience that in a way that Gina does not. Gina is typically accompanied by 4 said crazy wonderful children, Leilah Grace is unencumbered and uninhibited. It's a beautiful place to be as a person. You can follow along at her adventures on IG at #leilahgraceadventures
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