After almost a year at sea, a U.S. Navy sailor fantasized about being on land again.

On a whim, she decided to test her legs on England's Coast to Coast trail. What she had thought would be a leisurely springtime stroll through three national parks turned out to be a rigorous hike through the Lake District, limestone counties, farmland, heather-covered hills, and marsh.

At times encountering more sheep than humans, she quickly discovered that a compass does not work in English mist and that communicating with the English in English is not as simple as one might think.

Despite blisters, bloody heels, and missing toenails, she soon became enthralled by the sublime natural beauty of rural England, the exquisite delights of Wensleydale cheeses, and the extraordinary kindness and hospitality she encountered at every turn.