The first time I identified myself I knew I was a girl and then I knew I was a daughter. Then I was also a sister, and then a cousin. Then a friend, then a best friend, then a student…I kept adding ways to identify myself. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. As we get older we continue to add to our identity. As I grew up, I added girlfriend, wife, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother, aunt, ex-wife, then wife again, step-mother and mother-in-law. Soon I will add an amazing new identity, Nana (aka Grandmother)! Not only do I identify myself by my relationships, but also by my hobbies. I identify as a hiker, paper crafter, rock painter, writer, cook, traveler, dreamer. Don’t forget about work identities. Too many to name!
All of those identities make me who I am today. There are more I haven’t mentioned and more that will come that I don’t even know about yet! If I took just one of those identities away I would no longer be exactly who I am. Most of those identities were automatic. I became that person without thought, like being a girl, daughter, sister…it was natural for me to be those things. I love finding new ways to identify myself now. Especially through my hobbies. My favorite hobby is hiking and meeting new friends on the trail.
Recently I met a fabulous being named Stella T. Rex while hiking. I was on a challenge trail hiking it for the second time and it’s hard not to notice a giant T-Rex on the trail. She was a little terrifying at first, but then I was intrigued by her confidence. She is tall and has a toothy grin which can put people off and I’m really glad she didn’t take a bite out of me! She recognized me from my posts on the Facebook page for the WNY Hiking Challenge and Stella roared in my ear that she wouldn’t mind getting her own patch and sticker for completing the challenge. How could I resist? I had to help Stella. I also wanted to get to know her better and discover her other identities! Stella T. Rex became a bit of a celebrity hiker. People either loved her or ran from her!
Other WNY Hiking Challengers asked to hike with her and wanted to be her friend on Facebook. She even has an Instagram, although she admits she never really got the hang of it. You can’t teach an old dino new tricks apparently. She was pretty popular and I was a little jealous how quickly she could make friends, it’s harder for me. Stella brought joy to others just by being.
I told Stella about my blog and asked if I could write a story about her. She was nervous but graciously said yes and provided these photos. She also swore me to secrecy! There’s only so much I can divulge! So, on a rainy day, I sat down with Stella over lunch (I made sure to feed her well!) and asked her a few questions. She was shy at first, which surprised me. She’s always so outgoing on our hikes! Once she opened up, she became alive with excitement of being the one that created so many smiles this summer. Stella T. Rex explained that she was hoping to spread joy to others during such a dreary year full of anxiety and fear. She knew that just by being silly and fun others would follow along and be silly and fun too. Stella rocked out those trails. Sometimes she traveled alone to the landmarks and her little T-Rex arms weren’t long enough for selfies. Other times she had an entourage of fans accompanying her. She liked that best she says. The more the merrier on a hike! Although, she said pensively, there were times the quiet solitude of a solo hike was magical. Stella expressed gratitude to the challengers that hiked with her. She loves meeting new friends, but she knows she can be a pain to hike with (literally). She apologized for complaining and whining when the trails were steep, her stubby legs couldn’t always keep up. Also she’s sorry for when she was hungry and made a snack out of a few hikers. She is a wild t-rex after all. When Stella completed the 20 trails for the challenge, she didn’t stop there, oh no! She kept hiking to complete all 34 trails on the list.
Stella received her coveted completion patch and stickers in the mail in late October.
I asked Stella what plans she had for hiking now that the challenge has been completed. Stella reminded me that Outside Chronicles is holding a Winter Hiking Challenge https://outsidechronicles.com/winter starting next month. She is also looking forward to helping some of her new friends complete their hiking challenge still this fall. She remains busy and is loving the cooler weather.
I wish I could tell you what other identities Stella T. Rex has, but she’s not ready to share just yet. She’s happy being a friend, smile maker and hiking partner. She wanted me to tell you to follow her adventures so look her up on Facebook!
Just an FYI, if you want to hike with Stella, make sure you bring good snacks or you will become the snack!
Happy Trails and Stella says, “RRRRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!!!!”
trailchaser2020 