I fell in love with trail running in the New River Gorge of West Virginia. Running the oak and rhododendron forests of Appalachia evoked a level of self-confidence and personal freedom I hadn’t previously known! In these Santa Cruz Mountains – the redwood canyons, fern-dappled valleys, and on the exposed madrone-and-oak hills, I’m strengthening not only my endurance, but my resolve to live consciously and with intent.