Sarahmarie Specht-Bird
Bio
A writer, teacher, traveler, and long-distance hiker in pursuit of a life that blends them all. Read trail dispatches and adventure stories at my website.
Achievements (1)
Stories (46/0)
Ode to the Red Eft
It's late morning somewhere in North Carolina. I've been hiking alone so far today, mindlessly listening to music as my feet carve a repetitive step, step, step into the damp earth. It rained hard all night, and my friends and I woke up to sopping tents. But this morning, the sky is a crisp, cheerful blue, and the sun warms me as I walk.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird3 years ago in Earth
The Continual Process of Reducing
It started with recycling. I remember when I was a kid and our our neighborhood began its recycling program. Only plastic types 1 and 2 could be put into the bins, so we dutifully checked the symbols, rinsed out our Diet Coke bottles, and felt like the greenest family this side of the Mississippi.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird3 years ago in Earth
The Need for Nuance in Sustainability Rhetoric
I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019. On this particular trail, most thru-hikers don't carry hard-sided reusable water bottles or hydration bladders. I have tried both at various points in my hiking career, and neither the weight nor the irritation, respectively, were worth the hassle. Instead, most of us carry the kind of high-end plastic bottles of fancy water that you can buy for $2 at the grocery store in the beverage aisle—you know, the kind of bottle that every self-respecting person tries to shy away from nowadays.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird3 years ago in Earth
- Top Story - May 2021
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a DressTop Story - May 2021
My mother clears the dining room table. The centerpiece goes to the buffet. The candles move to the foyer. The stacks of papers are placed on chairs. I lay out the fabric on the wide expanse of the now-empty table. The smooth jersey is soft and yielding in my hands, pleasantly thick, but not overly so. The pattern is lemons: simple, big, bold yellow lemons. Here and there, deep green stems and leaves bloom between the fruit.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird3 years ago in Families