In June when I set out on this adventure so many people asked me how I was feeling about my decision to quit my teaching job. My honest response was that it felt like the start of every other summer, so it didn’t feel like a big change, or that I was about to launch…
The Story of a Pot
In 2000 I was a graduate student squeezing by on a scant stipend and I spent $50 on a pot. Fifty freaking dollars on a pot! Why would I do such a thing when I accounted for each and every dollar that was spent? Because I had an opportunity to rock climb the East Face…
Desert Cabal by Amy Irvine: A (mini)Book Review
In the reviews I read of Desert Cabal the book was pitched as a smack down of Edward Abbey. And while in some ways it is, it is so much more than that. And yes, there is a lot to dislike about beloved Edward Abbey. Abbey’s writing is rich in misogyny, xenophobia, and a completely…
WTF? And Always More Lessons to Learn.
WTF? It doesn’t mean what many of you think it means, at least in this circumstance! Last year a phenomenal group of individuals got together and hosted the first ever WTF Bikexplorers Summit in Whitefish, Montana. The event was incredibly successful and this year’s event sold out in two hours! WTF literally stands for Women/Trans/Femme, but…
Breathing in Poudre Canyon
After a whirlwind drive to Colorado, followed by a flight home to visit family, it was time for this introvert to slow it down and check out from the world for awhile. Three days of dispersed camping (free National Forest, no amenities) off Poudre Canyon with no cell or internet was exactly what I needed!…
100 mph
Wow! Time is flying by and I can’t seem to make it slow down. I’ve emptied my little house of ten years and parsed my belongings to a handful of boxes in a friend’s attic and what fits in my car. Oooh my car — there is way too much stuff in it! There is…
Are You Vulnerable?
Of course you are! Everyone is. Whether you embrace your vulnerability or try to minimize it, always striving to protect yourself, is another story altogether. I wonder…what story do you tell yourself? Do you always take the “safe” route with your heart and the experiences you choose to have? In autumn of 2017 I was…
The Curse of Spring Break
Spring Break — the Holy Grail of Spring Semester. One glorious week, which if properly planned also encompasses the weekend before and after for up to ten days of fun filled adventure. Every year I make grand plans that include travel, huge bike miles, maybe some rock climbing and time with friends, all the good…
Transitions
I am almost half way through my final semester of teaching at SBCC and launching myself into the world on what promises to be a grand adventure. I’ve saved up enough funds to fuel a few years of budget travel and am going to do my best not to over-plan this opportunity, but to allow…