Episode #2: McKenna Allison & Tyler Norkus

McKenna grew up in Madison, WI and graduated with her Master’s in Biology from Arizona State University. She loves to spend time outdoors and read, preferably both at the same time. McKenna has always enjoyed outdoor recreation activities like hiking, running, biking, and swimming. She started traveling domestically and internationally in college and has since become immersed in the world of budget travel, motivated by a fascination with natural landscapes and diverse cultures. Tyler Norkus grew up in Las Vegas, NV and recently graduated with his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University. He now resides in Santa Fe, NM and just started an engineering position at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He spends his time reading, cooking, hiking and backpacking, and occasionally travelling across the world.Tyler and McKenna as a couple: Tyler and McKenna met on a backpacking trip via the Adventure Devils hiking club at ASU and immediately became best friends. They started dating and traveling together around the US and the world. They adopted two cats from Tyler’s family during their last year at ASU and are currently in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their most notable experience as a couple was their hike from Canada to Mexico on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2025, at the end of which they got engaged. Outside of traveling and hiking, McKenna and Tyler love to enjoy tea and good food together, a passion of Tyler’s which McKenna quickly grew to love.In this episode, we discuss McKenna and Tyler's recent experience spending four months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans from Canada to Mexico and winds through approximately 2650 miles of diverse west-coast terrain. They shed light on what it's like to push the limits of the body and mind on a daily basis, as well as complex social and ethical dynamics surrounding the phenomenon known as "thru-hiking." Our discussion concludes with a focus on the bittersweet experience of transitioning back into social life after spending a significant amount of time profoundly in tune with one's body and the natural world.  © Hunter Langenhorst, creator of The Language & Life Podcast. All rights reserved. Episodes, audio recordings, original music, and artwork are protected by copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited without written permission.