{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 80: Living Your Great Life Right Now with Monica 'Moss' Aguilar","description":" What happens when you build your life around the things that make you come alive - not someday, but right now? Monica Aguilar, known on trail as \u201cMoss,\u201d is an artist, long-distance hiker, and everyday explorer who has intentionally built a flexible life around creativity and adventure. After graduating from UMass Amherst, she spent a season working in Alaska before thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2018. Since then, she\u2019s continued exploring on foot and by bike, including the Pacific Crest Trail and more than 3,000 miles on the Continental Divide Trail. In this conversation, Monica and I talk about what keeps drawing her back to long trails - the community, the challenge, the highest highs and lowest lows, and the chance to experience a place slowly rather than simply passing through it. We also get into fear and risk, including difficult snow travel on the PCT and the decision to change course in Colorado\u2019s San Juans when challenge began moving beyond her comfort zone. But Monica\u2019s story is also about designing a life around what matters. She\u2019s built enough flexibility into her work, spending, and art business to disappear onto a trail for months at a time while still saving for what she calls \u201cfuture Moss.\u201d That philosophy overlaps beautifully with something I talk about often: living your great life right now without ignoring the future. We also explore the connection between adventure and Monica\u2019s art. Through Chasing Trails Art, she creates murals, window paintings, and nature-inspired work influenced by the places she encounters along the way. Even there, she finds another version of doing hard things - the uncertainty and struggle of creating something that didn\u2019t exist before. Episode Highlights 00:00 \u2014 Meet Monica Aguilar: artist, thru-hiker, and unconventional career builder 08:30 \u2014 Working in Alaska and discovering space for creativity 14:00 \u2014 Taking on the Appalachian Trail as a relatively new backpacker 15:00 \u2014 Trail community, rainy days, and learning to embrace uncomfortable conditions 18:00 \u2014 Solo female hiking, trusting your instincts, and uncomfortable encounters 24:00 \u2014 Why Monica keeps choosing long-distance trails and hard things 25:30 \u2014 How \u201cMoss\u201d became her trail name\u2014and why you should apparently pet the moss 29:00 \u2014 The PCT, CDT, and squeezing every last drop out of an adventure 33:00 \u2014 Snow travel, fear, and knowing the difference between growth and too much risk 39:00 \u2014 How Monica financially makes months-long adventures possible 42:00 \u2014 Saving for \u201cfuture Moss\u201d while still living for \u201cnow Moss\u201d 44:00 \u2014 Turning nature and travel into Chasing Trails Art 50:00 \u2014 Why making art can sometimes feel harder than hiking thousands of miles 58:00 \u2014 Dreaming about a traveling mural tour and combining work with adventure 59:00 \u2014 Living your great life right now About Monica Aguilar Monica Aguilar is a Massachusetts-based artist, thru-hiker, and adventurer whose travels inspire much of her creative work. She has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and completed more than 3,000 miles on the Continental Divide Trail. Through Chasing Trails Art, Monica creates murals, seasonal window paintings, and nature-inspired artwork drawn from the landscapes and experiences she encounters along the way. Connect with Monica Aguilar Chasing Trails Art Instagram Facebook Connect with the On Adventure Podcast Hosted by Josh Self, financial advisor and everyday explorer. Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major streaming platforms. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for clips and behind-the-scenes content, connect on Facebook at On Adventure Podcast with Josh Self, and find Josh on LinkedIn. If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with someone who might need the reminder that you can prepare for the future while still living your great life right now. ","author_name":"On Adventure Podcast with Josh Self","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/432426","html":"