New Hampshireā€¦ who knew? As someone who was born and raised on the west coast, New Hampshire has never really been on my radar. In fact, admittedly, Iā€™m relatively naive to all that New England has to offer, because Iā€™ve only really spent time in New York City, mostly as a tourist, and Boston, mostly for work. And, the times Iā€™ve visited Boston, Iā€™ve really only had time to see conference-related places (i.e. mostly inside of hotels and a few restaurants)

So, since leaving NYC, we got to drive through Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, on our way to New Hampshire. Wow, first, itā€™s very green here! Considering how much it has rained lately and how much it snows in winter, I get it. But I can only imagine how breathtaking it must be when the leaves change during the fall. Second, thereā€™s a lot of brick and stone! Due to earthquakes in California, building with brick is typically not up to earthquake code, so you donā€™t see it as much in buildings there. I learned about the stone walls cover the New England landscape like honeycomb, and it sure sets a quaint tone for the region. I like it.

We arrived in New Hampshire on a Friday, and I admit, I struggled to find a place to stay close to our planned hike. Iā€™m sure because itā€™s summertime, a weekend before a holiday, and also because after the pandemic, everyone has been itching to get outside. Shereese and I ended up in a campsite in Campton, which was nestled in the White National Forest, along the Mad River, and about an hour from Mount Major. We built a fire and shared funny stories well into the night.

On Saturday, we got up early and drove to meet the ladies (and gents) from the New England HIMSS chapter who had signed up to hike with us. It was the largest group yet and the toughest hike weā€™ve attempted on the journey so far. Although itā€™s labeled ā€œModerateā€ on AllTrails, we all agreed this hike felt a bit more advanced. For some, this was the first exercise activity that theyā€™d participated in since before the pandemic. It was a long uphill and rocky climb for the first two thirds on the way up to the summit and steep on the way back down. Some of us were huffing and puffing, including Juno, who loves climbing rocks and being the leader of the pack. But, the views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains at the top were 100% worth the effort.

Hiking is a great way to get to know people. We each shared a bit of our personal stories, including some of the biggest adventures weā€™ve ever tackledā€”from coaching soccer to taking an impromptu trip to Spain; we learned about each otherā€™s strengthsā€”from storytelling to data governance; and we helped each other through the hardest parts. In fact, Malissa did a great job navigating the path on the way down for Teja and me to find the route that was least stressful on our feet and ankles.

It really was a great way to feel connected to one another and gain a sense of pride upon completing this trail. It was not easy, but we did itā€¦ together.

Mount Major, NH

Where we stayed: Campton Campgrounds

Where we hike: Mount Major via Brook and Main Trail Loop

Indigenous Acknowledgment - Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe

Friends We Made

#BTS

1. Amy Chacko, President of the New England HIMSS chapter shares her ā€œwhyā€ in coming out to hike with us.

2. The day after the hike, we overheard some locals at the coffee shop talking about a swimming hole. Joy asked for directions and took Juno to check it out.

TikTok!

Thank you

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