Hello from Scotland!

And why I blocked three people last week

Hello from surprisingly sunny Scotland!

Scotland, like elsewhere in the UK, is known for clouds, rain, and cooler weather. So imagine my surprise when I show up with a suitcase full of cool-weather gear and rain-proof hiking clothes for 12 subsequent days of sunshine! There’s been a sprinkle here and there but locals can’t stop talking about how hot and sunny it is.

Speaking of my wet-weather hiking gear, I’ve experienced some epic fails. In the past week, I had two straps break off a brand new daypack (apparently I was sent a per-production model with a defect), seams burst on both legs of a pair of very expensive waterproof pants (my quads are strong but I’m not She-Ra!), and a strap on a new hip pouch fell off. Boo. WTF. Seriously? Despite having a huge stack of packs at home, I actually had to go buy a new backpack today for my 8-day hike. Lame.

Anyway, I just wrapped up a lovely 11-day cruise around Scotland. It started off with a few bumps, most notably that the ship got a HOLE in the HULL when it pulled in to the dock to pick us up. It took two days to fix it so we missed two full days of the itinerary. Boo again. Fortunately, the company worked very diligently to arrange impromptu day trips. They also offered free wine for meals the rest of the trip. I don’t drink but others seemed to love this! I had yesterday free, which was spent taking a walking tour of Aberdeen, visiting an museum exhibit about tartan (plaid) in Dundee, and working from a little cabin near the highlands (in the pic above). Tomorrow, I start my 8-day wilderness hike along the West Highland Way. There’s a 19-mile day so please wish me luck.

I noticed a couple of my articles published so I’m pasting them in here. Perhaps others published as well but I’m just about out of time online so they’ll have to wait til next time.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Reader’s Digest: Camping for Beginners: Everything First-Timers Need to Know for a Fun, Safe Experience

Hilton Hotels: Fun and Festive Destinations for Fourth of July Celebrations

Now…for my lovely paid subscribers, let me tell you about why I blocked three people last week. I know a lot of writers talk about blocking PR people but I’d never done it. I try to be forgiving of small mistakes and given my very upfront demeanor and hyper-specific Substack requests, I’ve really enjoyed the direction my inbox has been going since launching my newsletter this year. However, I had to pull the plug on a few people last week for the first time.

Here’s why.