This week we’re writing about jobs, hobbies, or trips that connect to our books. I could explain how the years I spent as a rape crisis counselor gave me the perfect experience to write my story in a way that contextualized it within women’s broader experiences (hopefully). But…enough with the heavy! (For now.)
Hopefully you’ll forgive me for instead indulging in my favorite topic: the mountains.
The mountainous wilderness serves an important role at the end of my memoir as the “resilience” half of my story. The opportunities I had to climb and run in the Rockies made all the difference as I rebuilt a life in the aftermath of the trauma. Mountain adventuring has been the way I’ve coped with chronic pain, managed post-traumatic stress disorder, and reminded myself to live in the present.
I remain grateful that I continue to have the privilege of seeking out the Rockies as I’ve written and published my memoir. I need them today as much as I needed them when I first sought their comfort years ago.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/6-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/19-300x236.jpg?resize=300%2C236)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/9-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Lynn-on-Capitol-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/AIMG_8852-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Finish-line-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
As proud as I am of those accomplishments, some of the most memorable days I’ve spent in the Rockies are the ones I spent in solitude –
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20150725_074719-300x169.jpg?resize=300%2C169)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20150828_130220-300x169.jpg?resize=300%2C169)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.thedebutanteball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20150918_123706-300x169.jpg?resize=300%2C169)
Lynn, you never cease to amaze me!