Where Writing, wanderlust, & endurance collide.
I grew up “in the woods” of Park Hills, Missouri, where a childhood dream of becoming a park ranger laid the groundwork for a lifelong love of nature and slow living. (Spoiler alert: I never pursued the park ranger life). By age 10, I had picked up a journal to make sense of the world–and never really put it down. My passion for writing derives from a life-long obsession with observing things, people, and nature. Keeping a detailed journal gave me a place to process, question, and find where I fit in the world.
At 25, I was driven by a simple rule: to choose curiosity over fear.
I traded my comfy job at my local community college and took a leap abroad. With my family’s support, but not enthusiasm, I left my hometown in the Midwest to embark on an adventurous teaching career. That leap took me to Dubai, United Arab Emirates to teach high school ESL near the Jebel Mountains. Whether it was to soul search or teach (or somewhere in between), I then landed in Dalian, China, teaching university students composition. Living abroad gave me a whole new sense of independence and self-reliance empowered through solo travel.
At 29, I brought that momentum back to the states, settling under the Texas sun in the border city of Brownsville. There, I taught Hispanic students at the local community college to articulate their raw ideas into writing. Then my life took an unexpected turn into multisport. Thanks to my friend Celeste, who pushed me to buy a bike and take swim lessons, I went from surviving open-water swims in the Gulf to falling headfirst into the triathlon, marathon, and cycling worlds!
Today, I’m back in my home state of Missouri. I’m bringing those lessons full circle. Between guiding students through the messy process of writing or logging miles in the pool, I’ve realized that clear writing and endurance sports share the same core: grit, patience, and the belief that you’re always capable of going a little further than you think.
Addie Scoggin 