I’m not okay, how are you?
I've been waking up in the middle of the night lately. My brain is full of thoughts that want to spill from my consciousness at the most inconvenient times....
Don’t Date a Man Without a Stamped Passport
“Don’t date a man without a stamped passport,” one of my college professors recently advised me.
Something flipped in my belly when she spoke the words. It was like I...
Paul Walks On: Epilepsy On the Appalachian Trail
Recently, a heartbroken woman contacted the Dirtbag Diaries with a story about a man who waited just a little bit too long to chase a dream. Paul remained indefinitely...
“Some of Us Have Real Jobs”
I’ve had to navigate a lot of doubts to get to where I am today. For a long time, I thought that nobody wanted to hear what I had...
A Brush with Police While Dirtbagging Through Covid-19
It’s 4 AM on an early September morning when there’s a knock on my car door. I’ve been sleeping inside my Subaru next to the sparse contents of my...
Using Imperfections to Ascend to the Top
The universal climbing rule is to start at the base of a climb and go up. How you choose to move, or what you’re capable of doing with your...
Niki Rellon Writes History on the Appalachian Trail
400 Mile Marker
Niki Rellon, better known as Bionic Woman along the Appalachian Trail, recently etched herself into history as one of the most astounding thru-hikers on Earth. The 40...
Excuse My Hiatus
Many of you have been asking where I’ve gone (I’m looking at you, Aussie filmmaker). How could I dump my feelings onto Thedirtbag.org week after week only to disappear...
The Appalachian Trail’s “Bionic Woman”: An Interview With Niki Rellon
Niki Rellon is a spitfire – quietly efficient, diligently determined, and impressive in all of her achievements. Her previous adrenaline-filled expeditions include skeleton races, competitive skiing, kick-boxing and even...
Reflections of a Serial Thru-hiker
Guest Post by John Adriance
Thru-hiking is, in itself, a cathartic act. The natural world sweeps you up with its beauty on some days. It invites you to look closer...