Re(Launch)
New name, new logo, new platform, new adventures!
For quite a while, I had been thinking about relaunching my personal blog to a new name (and platform). Right after I finished the PCT, I decided on Detour Outside as the new name and registered the domain. Alas, it took me 3 years before I finally made the switchover.
My old blog used Wordpress on a hosting provider, which provided limitless options but also more effort to maintain, update, optimize, etc. The Substack platform seems to remove most of the headache with maintaining my own site and provides very easy tools to create content. I’m hoping this results in more writing.
What’s in a name?
“Detour” became my trail name while thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021. The name was given to me by another hiker because I kept taking (accidental) detours long the trail early on. I realized it was a perfect trail name as I had also been taking big detours in life for many years, including thru hiking the PCT. And “Outside” because not only were most of my detours physically outside, but also way outside my comfort zone. These adventures in life have truly shaped my thinking about the world and my place in it. The name “Detour Outside” has a two-fold meaning.
First, it refers to my own outside adventures as “Detour”. My goal is to continue to document my adventures with daily recaps, photos, statistics, personal reflections etc. I hope this gives others that are interested in similar adventures some information and perhaps even some motivation.
Second, it is also meant to be an imperative to encourage others to:
Take Detours in life
Outside of comfort zones
(& preferably actually outside)
My goal is convince others to take big leaps, do hard things (even if they seem impossible), and cross things off their life’s todo list. I am proof that if I can do these things, anyone can! This does not have to be epic hikes or long bike tours, etc. Just stop saying “I wish I could do that” and just take the first step. I hope to write more about this topic.
Currently, this new site contains posts migrated from the old blog (hence why some posts even pre-date the existence of Substack.
I plan to write more soon about my recent adventures on the Camino de Santiago and my thru hike of the Colorado Trail in 2024.