Bowing to a bloodline of adventure that includes explorer Henry Hudson and Lappi reindeer herders, Sandra Friend walked away from a career in software design and headed to the woods. After getting her feet wet with outdoor writing in the mid-Atlantic and traveling backpacker-style across Greece, India, and Nepal with her sister, she carved out a niche: Florida hiking. With 2,500 miles on foot and eight hiking books to her credit, she took on the Explorer’s Guide series for Florida, and spent five years as Communications Director for the Florida Trail Association. Sandra now serves as Faculty for the Society of American Travel Writers Institute and is a past board member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, as well as the incoming vice-president for the Society of American Travel Writers Atlantic-Caribbean Chapter. Sandra is the owner of Genuine Florida, a consulting and content creation firm, and lives in Central Florida with her husband, native Floridian cartoonist Rob Smith, Jr.