About

About Me

We are kaleidoscopes, the world our light: it appears differently to us at different times and through different angles. My writings are a reflection of this idea and an attempt to capture my miniscule part of the greater light we behold together.

I was born and raised in Chicago, IL and live in Albuquerque, NM, where I work as a resident emergency physician. In my free time I enjoy running, hiking, and movement in most forms; hiking adventures so far include 1800 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017, a thru-hike of the 800 mile Arizona Trail in 2020, a 250-mile Sierra High Route linkup from Mount Whitney to Yosemite Valley in 2021, the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2023, and the Lowest to Highest route in 2024, as well as two Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim runs (2022 and 2024), all of which have inspired and heavily informed the pieces here displayed. I love learning the stories of novel places, be they bustling cities or remote wildernesses, and people of all walks. Every place we visit and every person we meet have something to teach us, and thus carry the potential to change our worlds.

contact: ileegak@gmail.com