Exploring Maxwell Wildlife Refuge in Canton, Kansas If you're looking for an educational and exhilarating experience, look no further than the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge. Located outside of Canton, Kansas, roughly an hour from Wichita, the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge (MWR) encompasses 2,560 acres of native tallgrass prairie that is home to a free-roaming herd of bison and elk. Numerous bird and insect species, along with coyotes, can also be seen. With only 4% of the world's native

Happiness doesn’t have to come from a big vacation A bonus or promotion at work A life changing event like marriage, buying a house, or having a baby. Happiness can come from the small things in life. The things we often overlook The simple things Like a really good cup of coffee A beautiful sunset In this crazy busy world we live in, finding joy in the little things helps break the monotony It keeps us moving forward It gives us a reason to wake up each day When life so

Progress isn't linear. It's a scribbled, messy line that sometimes dips down and sometimes plateaus before moving upward. Progress isn't rushed. It's slow. It's steady. And sometimes it requires a lot of patience. Trusting the process isn't always easy, but it's necessary. It's been a long time coming, but I finally got cleared to run. Not a lot. Not as much as I'd like. But it's something. And I'm moving in the right direction. Looking back, I've made a lot of progress. At t

The truth is, being injured sucks. It’s been months since I’ve laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. What’s harder is watching everyone around me still running—training for races, showing up to group runs, doing the thing I can’t do right now. The FOMO is real. It’s frustrating. And sometimes, the doubt creeps in. Will I get to run again? How much longer will this take? Will I be starting over from scratch? It’s hard to accept being injured when running has been such a big

The Trip That Wasn’t the Plan One of my goals this year was simple: spend more time outside, more time moving, more time in nature. Back in April, the plan was to hike at Santa Fe Lake in Augusta. But like a lot of things lately—the plan changed. Instead, I found myself loading up the car with a shelter dog named Sadie, grabbing my trusty shotgun rider (my mom), and heading toward Wilson, Kansas. Sadie was being adopted, and her new family was driving in from Colorado. They a

This morning, I was looking at our intake list and something stopped me. Over half of the animals we’ve taken in this month are babies. Kittens. Under 4 months old. It’s spring, so it’s not surprising. But it still hits every time. Because at the same time, I know what we’ve been doing. So far this year, we’ve helped spay and neuter 215 public pets and shelter animals in our community. Two hundred and fifteen. In a rural area. With a small team. Limited funding. And not nearl

There comes a point where you realize the life you’re living doesn’t quite match the one you imagined. Not in a dramatic, everything-falls-apart kind of way. More like a quiet awareness that something has shifted—and you can’t unsee it. That’s where this started. Route Rewritten isn’t about starting over. It’s about choosing differently. It’s about midlife, and the courage it takes to stop going through the motions and start asking better questions. What actually matters now?