Climbing Manastash

This morning started a bit earlier than normal, as it was an adventure day with my Daddy and my Goddaughter, Virginia. The adventure? Climbing Manastash Ridge.

Manastash Ridge is one of The Homeland’s local climbs and is relatively popular. It is a few miles east of town, but the climb is well worth the drive! I have climbed it many times over the course of my lifetime, but this was my first climb in more than a decade.

As we climbed, we were passed by a couple of trail runners. That made me feel a bit jealous because the hill just screams out to be conquered with speed. But, alas, my climbing partners were not in running (or fast walking) shape so I continued my slow climb.

The nice thing about climbing slowly, however, is that I got to stop to grab a few geocaches and snap photos of the lovely flowers and birdhouses along the journey. It also meant that I got to chat with Virginia a bit more – especially after Daddy turned back to the car. (We were walking too fast for him and he didn’t want to hold us up.)

It’s days like this that remind me of how challenging it is to be an expat. Still, it’s days like this that give me something to look forward to when I’m back in Scotland.

Now, I must get back to that PhDing for a bit…