Trogging ...

Hallelujah and Pass the Tax Rebate! After months of anticipation, preparation, and ________tion, I finally made it the big "Back East." (I still think it's slightly odd that we speak of going "Out West" and "back East," but never "out East" or "back West." It's almost like we just can't escape the East as America's birthplace ... ). Last Friday after three glorious days of asphalt and amazing good times (in Nauvoo, Kirtland, Hershey, and other places), my father, sister and I finally pulled in to the land I'll be calling home for the next year. And boy was it humid.

Now, though I've been here for a full five days, tonight was the first time I was able to go about exploring the area next to my house ... and I'm kickin' myself that I waited this long. Turns out that right next to my new apartment is a 600-acre State park called White Clay Creek - a Godsend for a nature lovin', Utah-mountain-missin' boy like me.

I actually stumbled across it while jogging through the neighborhood. Noticing an oddly placed trail off the side of one of the roads I was running on (which afforded very little space between me and oncoming traffic), I decided to try it out. Two seconds in, I was in a different world. And now that I've been there, I'm not going back anytime soon.

See, I love to jog. Have for about two and a half years now. It's fun; it's energy building & releasing (quite a lovely combination); and it's just what the doctor ordered to keep my weight at a manageable level. But more than that, it really puts me in touch with my surroundings. My senses are always at their fullest during a run ... I see better, I hear better, I feel better and I smell better (at least in one sense). But now, after traipsing across the trails of White Clay Creek State Park, I've decided that in my heart of hearts, I'm actually a Trogger.* That's right, a Trogger ... a Trail Jogger.

Honestly, I'd like to be a Trunner/Trainner (Trail Runner), but I'm a little too slow and pudgy (some would say cute, cuddly, and stuffed with fluff ... and who am I too quibble). So, for now I'm just gonna have to enjoy the beauty and love of the great outdoors in Delaware via the occasional morning Trog.

* After thinking about the word, I Googled it ... and oddly enough, it turned out someone else had already coined the term, albeit with an entirely different definition: According to the web dictionary, "trogging" is a verbal portmanteau (thank you Mr. Carroll) created by combining Trust + Blogging. That is, to "trog" is to "use blogs to build trust and transparency."

I like my definition better.