I've been in a rut of sorts because it is spring and the weather is superb for outdoor dating. I've been getting outdoors everyday with the dogs but something is still missing. I remind myself that I moved to TN for my career, and at least I am truly happy with that aspect of life. Sometimes when I am in a rut, I like to dig through pieces of the past as a road map to where I've been and where I'm going. It was a year ago tonight that I spent the first night on Big Creek, in GRSM. Sometime during the four weeks of May 2006 that I spent in the Smokies, I had told mysef on top of Mt. Sterling that I wanted to chart a new direction - professionally and personally. It is strange that a year later I am almost under the shadow of Mt. Sterling Ridge and I have done just that. Posted below are excerpts from my very first blog, the blog I kept while doing field work in GRSM last year. It is a great reminder that I've chosen a professional path that I thought would make me truly happy and I just need to keep my spirits up and heart fresh, and the rest will fall into place. If you can't read the text on the images below, click on them, they'll get BIGGER!!!