A gem in the Julian Alps, with thousands of trails and hundreds of peaks Slovenia had me striding and smiling.

One of the tangible, yet ambiguous losses that has come in the wake of my accident is the facing the reality that I will never again return to driving. Beyond age 16, I certainly took driving for granted, never giving light to the role the privilege played in my independent lifestyle.

Finding accommodation has a whole different meaning now that I can no longer get off an airplane, jump in an airport rental, and have a GPS guide me to a serene place which sits perfectly  accessible for trails and outdoor play. I prefer rural and isolation to urban and touristic chaos which now, without the independence of driving, presents itself as an obstacle.

A gem in the Julian Alps was a quintessential base as summer came to an end in Europe. With thousands of marked trails and hundreds of peaks over 2 000 m options from multiple directions presented a diverse concoction of possibilities including mountains, rolling hills and farming roads which I could tackle alone while, with just a little help, close enough to get supplies necessary  to fuel days exploring.  Beginning to navigate trails more confidently; the access to and range of trails combining roots, rocks, light and shadows equated to growth in confidence while providing optimal opportunities to build climbing strength in Slovenia as the Himalayas waited.

Though not able to hop in a car and jump into lake Bled or one of its emerald rivers after hot sweaty days on foot, Slovenia reinforced that which I can do, stride and smile.

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