After I talked to friends and took some time to think through, I decided to go to Washington DC to join the 2024 Outdoor Alliance for Kids annual event to receive the OAK Leaf Award which is given to individuals for their leadership in connecting young people to the outdoors.

As I was making the decision, I thought that this was an opportunity to publicly acknowledge all the people and organizations that helped me make my dream come true. Becoming an environmental educator in America’s National Parks has been my dream since I was in high school. It was a long journey with the support of countless people to reach my dream job as an immigrant. How often do I have a chance to thank all these individuals and organizations in public spaces? Not so many.

With support from the Sierra Club and NatureBridge, I booked the flights last minute and arrived in DC late Monday night. What a change of pace and scene after hiking 620 miles in the remote desert of New Mexico! So much was going on and people were walking in every direction at the airports. From a tiny window of the plane, I saw green spaces and was fascinated by the abundance of water bringing so much plant life to the East Coast.

My dear friend Sonia from NatureBridge in DC hosted me with so much care. Since I only had trail clothes, she gave me some of her outfits to wear to the event. The only mismatch was that I had trail shoes on. I thought they would understand and I would make more of an impression that way.

The ceremony was held at the rooftop of the Wilderness Society‘s building in downtown DC. I could see the Washington Monument in the evening light. At the reception, they had delicious Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. I was eating dehydrated food for almost a month, burning thousands of calories a day. Even though I stopped hiking for the last few days, my body still thinks I’m hiking and my metabolism is much higher than normal. I was happy to have these yummy treats so I could attend the gathering without being too hungry.

The award ceremony was lovely. A relatively small crowd of around 50 people came together. When I received the award, they gave me a couple of minutes to remark. I thanked the Outdoor Alliance for Kids steering committee for choosing me for this award, the Sierra Club for their financial support to bring me to the venue, and NatureBridge, specifically Meg Jakubowski, the National Director of Education, for nominating me for this award, supporting my travel and giving me various opportunities to deliver NatureBridge mission to our students as an educator and most recently, as the Director of Equity and Inclusion.

I then thanked all of my students who taught me important lessons to become an effective educator. I shared three essential learnings that I wanted folks in the room to walk away with. One was to lead my teaching with inquiry-based learning so that my students are at the center of their learning, the second was to meet where they are to provide what they need so that they have a sense of belonging first before learning environmental science, and the third was to remember how culture plays a significant role in connecting people to nature. Lastly, I mentioned my mentors, friends, ancestors, and family, particularly my parents who gave me the name Miho, meaning a creator of greater democracy and protector of people, culture, and environment in the Japanese language.

As I stood in front of the crowd, I imagined that all these people were standing with me. In the Western ideology of individualism, we praise an individual’s accomplishment and often neglect the fact of numerous people’s support, sacrifice, and teachings for the person to gain recognition. I wanted to bring in a perspective of collectivism and give credit where it’s due to recognize them as my co-recipients of the award.

I walked away from the event, feeling full of gratitude and encouragement to continue connecting people to the outdoors. Hiking the Continental Divide Trail is a way for me to strengthen my relationship with nature. I hope my capacity to support others to feel belong in the outdoors will be greater as I experience immense gratitude for those who support me and meet challenges with humbleness on this journey. I look forward to using my learning and experience from the CDT as a springboard to sustain my energy and motivation to be part of a movement to make outdoor spaces more accessible and inclusive to all people.

With that aspiration, I said goodbye to Sonia and Washington DC, feeling excited to get back on the trail. That excitement turned into jaw-dropping nervousness when I saw snow-capped Colorado mountains as the plane approached Denver. Holy cow! How am I supposed to hike that?

From the snow report, I knew that there was still lots of snow, starting north of San Juan, New Mexico. I decided to skip San Juan and Colorado and jump to snow-free southern Wyoming with the hope of coming back to it after hiking Wyoming. But the way it looked from the plane, that snow won’t go away in a matter of 1 or 2 weeks. I’m not sure what my next move would be after the southern Wyoming section. I’m comfortable with the unknown and trust that I’ll know the answer when it is time.

For now, I’m going to wait out for the winter storm warning to pass Wyoming at my friend Carrie’s lovely home in Golden, Colorado. Yes, a winter storm warning is in effect for Wyoming and Montana, bringing more snow at this late season!! When I heard that, I took it as a sign from the universe: “Chill out for a few days and get some rest, Miho.” 

I am going to rest, recover from travel, and chronic dehydration from hiking the New Mexico section, connect with my dear old friends in the Denver area, and pray, “No more winter storms, please. Instead, snow, melt, melt, melt!”

Appreciation: Julia from OAK and Meg from NatureBridge for their support for me to receive the OAK Leaf Award, Zoë and Lily for being my soundboard when deciding to go to DC,  Zoë for dropping me off at Albuquerque airport, Sonia for her incredible hospitality in DC including picking me up at Baltimore airport, hosting me with her home-made Paella, fresh flowers, and my favorite food, coming with me to the award ceremony, and dropping me off at Reagan airport, and Carrie for taking care of my needs and letting me stay at her cute apartment in Golden, Colorado. 

Best learning: Remember that behind any fame and achievement of an individual, there is a village of people who made sacrifices, provided support, and taught important lessons for the individual to succeed. The OAK Leaf Award ceremony was a moment to remember and call in all these people. 

Challenges: Deciding whether to pause or continue thru-hiking. Once I decided to go to DC, any last-minute travel arrangement was stressful. The change of scenery (remote immersed in nature to populated nation’s capital) and pace from hiking (max 30 miles a day) to air-traveling (up to thousands of miles a day) was a bazaar experience. 

Disappointment: I’m on top of leaving no trace (LNT) when it comes to wilderness travel. When I left Sonia’s place, I left one of my belongings at her place. I only have the bare minimum essentials. I was very disappointed and upset that I left my stuff behind, costing Sonia’s time and energy to mail me the thing I forgot. I have to remember to apply the same LNT principle no matter where I am!

Exciting moments: Having an opportunity to receive the award in person along with other award recipients in DC, seeing Sonia and Carrie, my NatureBridge former colleagues and friends, and eating Sonia’s homemade paella.