How Hiking Ruined My Life – Part ∞

It’s only been 6 months since my hike last year in 2025. After a series of unfortunate events, and being only 130 miles from the southern tip, we decided to call it quits. When we started in April, I had a kind of vision that this would be my last big hike. Yet here I am, year after year, wanting to get back on the road. The first blog I wrote when I started the Continental Divide Trail pretty much sums up my reason for hiking, so why change it? You can read it here.

There were so many moving parts that we couldn’t control; I felt like our hike had been stolen from us somehow. We keep having to change plans. Change walk. Plan a move. Move our pets. However, I think it was still joyful and a learning experience. I managed to redefine what it means to complete something. I was able to spend time with my partner. I tried social media and blogging while on a hike. And, along the way, I had my first sponsorship opportunity with bear vault (read one of my blogs here). Now I don’t think I’m going to quit. I think I’ll keep walking year after year, depending on my ability, and see what the outdoors gives me. Even if happiness doesn’t necessarily bring me money, I think it brings me something more important, hope and aim.

Post-hike trip

In December, after Napolitan was stuck in a motel room in San Diego for two weeks, we took a side mission to Hawaii to spend time with my cousin and uncle.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Hanging at the Beach,” December 2025.

We also drove a lot. We drove from Montana to Ohio, Pennsylvania and back to Montana. We visit friends and family during the holidays. I would pack my suitcase, pack a cooler, unpack, repeat. In total, we put on about 3,000 miles with our Kona puppy. I’m not sure why we thought that would be a good idea. We then drove to Washington (another 600 miles) and lived there with a car and bags for a while. I wish I could say I love this kind of lifestyle, but honestly, I hate living with bags, which is so funny, because I love living with a backpack. I think backpacking feels really easy compared to a car with a dog and a bunch of stuff we accumulate in different parts of the United States.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Disc Golf in Montana,” December 2025.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Neapolitan Scraping Ice Off Car,” January 2026.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Driving Across the States,” December-January 2026.

So we made things work for us. We were tired. And we managed to move to one of the toughest states in the U.S. We moved to Oahu, Hawai’i.

Hawaiian life

I would love to say that it somehow got easier, but it didn’t. We lived in a studio-sized AirBnB for a month in February, but we were in the middle of downtown Waikiki.

Image source: Paige Combs, “AirBnB Living in Hawai’i,” February 2026.

Which felt a bit like a luxury after spending so much time on trails. Furthermore, at that time, Chris’s recovery was going very well. He was starting to feel like he could use his ankle again. However, we weren’t going on any hikes or adventures because we were still waiting for all of our stuff and the car. So we spent a lot of time planning and searching for apartments. I started applying for hundreds of jobs. I reached out to my network and landed an amazing social media deal with an environmental nonprofit based in San Jose, California.

And… we have a great apartment. That needed a paint job. Then we painted it too. And our things arrived. My car arrived with a broken windshield. Basically, everything that could go wrong did, as I expected. As I learned along the way, hard things just happen and we move on.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Neapolitan Got a Moped,” February 2026.

Post-hike depression and journey forward

Why are you depressed? Do you have everything you wanted? It’s important to consider my privileges, and yet here I am, getting depressed because things happen. Privileges layered on top of so many challenges I’ve had to overcome in my life, so now I have my bouts of midlife depression here and there. And I wish I could say that I have a magic elixir that could give all of you hikers and you something to cure it. But honestly, do the things you like. Stop doing the things you feel like you’re supposed to do because, honestly, the people who do those things probably don’t want to do them either.

I was told that Hawaiian life makes you move more slowly. In a way, it does. I think that since I didn’t find work as quickly as I would have liked, I dedicated myself more to doing yoga and walking. We made several trips to the beaches. We have taken paddle trips along the river beds in Hale’iwa. I did some hiking. I also started poking around and found something else that lights up my soul.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Night Walking to Magic Island,” April 2026.

Image source: Paige Combs, “Kona Loves Paddleboarding,” June 2026.

work life

In addition to social media, I began consulting for a wedding company while planning my own wedding. Is it any wonder that it felt so natural for me to plan mine? And it was even stranger to realize that I love getting organized, helping with flowers, and also getting ready for events and coordination day. They offered me a job as a social worker and I said «no.» Can you believe it? I also said no to other jobs that just didn’t seem appealing to me. I don’t want to sit in a small cubicle and be alone in front of my computer. I like both action and inaction. I like working with the computer and I like running in events. I like hiking and sometimes a great day in the city. Even if I need the money. I think that says something. Let’s start saying no to more things that don’t serve us.

Image source: Paige Combs, “LLW Wedding Arch,” May 2026.

Image source: Paige Combs, “LLW Tables and Candelabras,” May 2026.

Reflections

What did I learn? I hate moving. I hate looking for work. I love weddings and wedding coordination. I’m finding my feet and shifting gears with social media, and I’m really enjoying it. I started building my own. Web page. So why am I back here? Why do I blog for The Trek? Well… dear friends. I’m hiking again, but this time for a shorter trip.

Walking itinerary

What crazy things am I doing now? Well, anyone who knows me well knows that I’m only a short 150 mile section of the Sierra away from being 100% complete with the PCT. I’ve ridden this damn thing twice and I’m ready to be done. I also previously hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail when I started backpacking in 2017. So I’m using this summer to clear out old goals and wipe the slate clean, and do some fun new things if I have it in me. What’s also very special about this experience is that my hiking trip in the Sierra is expected to be complete just before my birthday. The truth is that I couldn’t have planned it better. What a great way to start my 35th year on the planet. 🌎

birthday backpacking trip

• Halemau’u Trail on Maui (18 miles)
• Tahoe Rim Trail (165 miles)
• Sierra and Etna Section (550 miles) + Mount Whitney Climb
• Possible additional hike* (102 miles)

So, help cheer me up. It’s been a difficult road and I definitely need the support. ✌️

Other interesting updates

As of April 2026, I have been officially recognized as part of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. So, according to my custom…

What land am I on?? Find out why it’s important to respect the land we travel.

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