About Me

My name is Katie Carlson. I am currently a student at DIS in Copenhagen where I’m in the Child Development in Scandinavia program. Back at Colby College, I study Education and Creative Writing. Though home seems far away sometimes (I miss my beloved dog, Piper, every second), I’m so grateful for the opportunity to study abroad!

Why Dandelion? During my first few days walking along the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, huge dandelions lined the trail. These flowers prompted me to chose the trail name "Dandelion."

[context: I hiked from the CA/OR border to Canada on the PCT (about 1000 miles!) as well as El Camino de Santiago during a gap year in 2015 between high school and college]

Buddhist author Thich Nhat Hanh writes about the dandelion as a reminder that joy is always present - in his words, "the dandelion has my smile" - and that it is merely a matter of accessing that joy.

My trail name inspires me to take ownership of my life. When I see a dandelion in the grass, I am reminded that I am capable of hiking miles upon miles with all that I need to live on my back. The sight evokes the joy that exists in the world and in the self. It brings back an ocean of incredible memories. Yet most importantly, to find all this I don't need to go searching for that precious, yellow flower. I can find it within myself - after all, my name is Dandelion.