Eighteeen Years of My Quality Day

 The blogoversery (Oct 26, 2008) is tomorrow, which means that this post completes my 18th year of blogging on My Quality Day. Blogger tells me that there are 6327 posts. Not quite one a day- I've missed occasionally, and sometimes haven't filled back in when I've been off hiking. It's become something of a journal except that the point of this blog was to stick to positive things that have happened.

My life is just like yours- there are some negative things that have happened, even a few major ones, but the point has always been to find something good. One year, I got pretty depressed for a few weeks and quit blogging, but I perked up again.

When I started blogging, Maggie Millicent was still alive and well.



I've had a "big hike" every year:
2009- I was closing in on finishing my first NCT End-to-End hike. I did part of the Superior Hiking Trail, the Border Route and the Kek. Also, a lot of the Upper Peninsula.
2010- Finished the NCT in the Lower Peninsula and took my final hike on the property of my friends, Doug and Pam Boor. I received the then-offered NCT patch for finishing



2011- Worked on completing the non-NCT sections of the Buckeye Trail
2012- Worked on completing the non-NCT sections of the Buckeye Trail
2013- Worked on completing the non-NCT sections of the Finger Lakes Trail
2014- Completed non-NCT sectons of the FLT and did the NCT Vermont extension even though it wasn't official yet



2015- Worked on completing the non-NCT sections of the Buckeye Trail
2016- Worked on completing the non-NCT sections of the Buckeye Trail
2017- Completed the non-NCT sections of the Buckeye Trail
2018- Midland to Mackinaw Trail
2019- Trailer trip and hikes in Red River Gorge, KY
2020- Worked on Finger Lakes Branch Trails, Knobstone Trail, IN
2021- Worked on Finger Lakes Branch Trails, began 2nd NCT End-to-End in December
2022- Hiked all year on NCT
2023- Hiked on NCT until finish in June
2024- Finished the Finger Lakes Trail Branches
2025- Adirondack GPS mapping hike on NCT
2026- Sheltowee Trace, KY and TN

Over this time, I bought and refurbished my little fiberglass trailer, Sunny.



Started an official NCT Long-Distance Hiker Recognition program



I've had two "real jobs"- taking pictures for a risk management company, and working in the mail room at the newspaper. Now sort of officially "retired."

I have written and published about 15 books since I started blogging (two were written before 2008), and I'm now calling myself an author

I continue to write a column for the Ludington Daily News, and have added one for the Mason County Press

I've made several blogging friends who have become real-life friends.

And, ha ha, I've become 18 years older. But I'm still hanging in there, eh?



I've probably forgotten some other major things that I've done, but thanks for coming along for the ride! You've made it a lot more fun.

And what did I do today? I edited and turned in my column for LDN, put away some garden stuff, did a few other odds and ends, and read another book. I guess I'm starting to feel renewed after this last hike, but my motivation isn't up to par yet. However, of course, I'm dreaming up ideas for next year's adventure!

See What Is My Quality Day?