"Be forewarned, Tara can kill a deer with her bare hands. She probably has. And then Adam, her adorable husband makes it in a gourmet meal with the vegetables they grew together in their garden. After they finished a marathon together. Like I said, Tara is intimidating."
There’s something about heading out on a backpacking trip that is synonymous with peace for me. Maybe it’s because I know I won’t have any chance to log in or maybe it’s because I know that all I have to worry about is when to pump water and how many fish to fry up…
We went on a backpacking trip into Mee Canyon, Utah this past May and it was incredible. Not only was it some of the most difficult hiking I’ve ever done, especially with a heavy pack on, it was also some of the most secluded. We saw one other person the entire four days we were there.
Honestly, there’s just not anything to stress about when you have everything you need on your back. Either you have it or you don’t.
All of my most peaceful moments occur when I sleep outdoors, feeling the breeze and waking up with the sun, knowing that I’m just a very small part of the much larger picture.
I thought the kitchen looked a little greener than usual.
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And I couldn't believe the sweet outdoor spot we scored for brunch.
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Not to mention that breeze as I slept...and the fact that our bed felt harder than it normally does.
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It's not weird to repackage your food. And only eat things easily rehydrated.
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Wait...so that's why my back was hurting?
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Here I thought our plumbing was acting weird. Why else would we be pumping our own water?
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It seemed like we had a little less privacy than usual.
I’m a little embarrassed. But if telling my story helps other women to know when it’s happening to them, then I’m glad to share.
(Also, TLC, if you’re reading, let’s talk reality backpacking shows. Think a little less Survivorman and a little more Animal House. Have your people get in touch with mine.)
This was inspired by our recent 4-day excursion to Portland…and Brooke’s request to have her picture featured in a blog post. Not to mention my desire to drop some rhymes.
Green moss, lush trees and bike lanes, oh my!
‘Tis a beautiful town, you cannot deny.
Tattoos are a plenty and the hoppy beer keeps a’flowin,
Roses are sweeter-all the rain helps them a’growin.
Bridgetown, oh Bridgetown, with the parks and the art,
The streets full of character, hipsters and heart.
Strip clubs on every corner, promising a good night…
Your food carts delight and the coffee’s done right.
No sales tax, I was warned…shopping’s a breeze.
(And yes, the money did flow out of my wallet with ease.)
Our hosts, Brooke and Nic, showed us the best of the town,
We ate well, we slept well and generally, got down.
Oregon showed us, like in Jersey, you can’t pump your own gas.
And just like in Colorado, a half-marathon can kick your ass.
Thank you to Portland for the West Coast adventure and fun,
Our late summer vacay was lovely–I’m glad there was sun!
As I sit and reminisce about what I was doing last weekend in L.A. at this time, the snow falls. I long for warmth on my skin, for tank tops, eating outdoors and soaking up the sunshine . That longing is one of the reasons I decided a trip to California during a Colorado winter would be oh-so-good for me in the first place. (Start humming The Mamas & The Papas here.)
In addition to the weather, Los Angeles proved to be a good choice by seducing me with amazing people, interesting opportunities and a diverse culture. Call it a retreat, call it a girl’s weekend, call it a bachelorette party (which I refuse to do), the time I spent in east L.A. revived me, inspired me and got me ready to rock out in 2009.
Looking back on the trip, there were a few things that were essential to the success of the weekend. Your mileage may vary, but I think you’ll agree that these are some of the necessities:
–a heavy dose of Mexican food–coming from Colorado, we were desperate for Mexican food done right. Fortunately, there were huevos rancheros a plenty, a late-night taco stand run, and lots of nachos… very important for fueling the fun.
–shopping–we walked and looked more than we actually consumed, but it was the leisurely way we did it and the local boutiques we were doing it in that made it so incredible. Silver Lake has fantastic stores and you have to love a neighborhood with personality.
–Thai massage–all “happy ending” jokes aside, this shit was awesome. As a certified massage therapist, I’ve had a lot of massage over the years. But this was a first. Probably the deepest massage I’ve received in a while and with the crazy stretching involved, also the most needed. If you’ve never had a Thai woman walk on your back, you’re missing out. (Caroline wrote a post about the place we went to in Echo Park.)
–beautiful weather–I know I already gushed about it, but the 80-degree days were really, really nice. There was talk about how warm it was for a California winter but it was just what my pale, Colorado, bundled-in-layers soul needed.
–karaoke–say what you want about the activity, I love singing with strangers. We went to a dive bar called The Smog Cutter , which besides having an awesome name, also had a very interactive karaoke experience. Namely, there was no stage. So you basically just sang in the midst of everyone at the bar, resulting in lots of backup singers, people dancing around you, and ample opportunity to work the crowd. Seriously, it was an epic night of karaoke. Not to mention, I rick-rolled the joint. Totally awesome.
–no schedules–I came to L.A. wanting to simply go with the flow. By not planning every minute of the day, we let things happen and took it all in at a relaxed pace. Who wants to be rushed around anyway?
–near-celebrity sightings–It’s L.A. You can’t help but almost see a celebrity. Our close call came on a corner of Sunset Drive. Ingrid thought she saw this guy:
…when really she just saw a bulldog who liked to bite skateboards. Embarrassing.
–pajama parties–Do I really need to explain this one?
–Jumbos Clown Room–I’m not going to explain this one but will say I left inspired.
–good friends–I had the right ladies accompany me on this adventure and I love what they brought to the weekend. It was also really entertaining to tell people that we met because of our blogs. To top off the weekend, I made new acquaintances and got the chance to see an old high school chum (one is silver and the other gold)…reuniting after 14 years only to be reminded that we haven’t really changed that much.
So in summary, despite the title of this post and to some folks’ disbelief, not much actual trouble was had.
Denver Half Marathon. I ran it last year when the weather was awful (cold, rainy, miserable) and swore I would never run it again. It appears that the desire for a new challenge has clouded my memory because I just registered for the race and want to beat my time from last year. The six-week training program starts tomorrow morning.
Altitude. As much as I try, I always seem to struggle with it. On a hike up Roger’s Pass yesterday, after sleeping at around 10,000 feet, I started feeling the beginning effects of the altitude around 11,000. Slight dizziness and a headache are indicators for me. I drank a lot of water and had only one wobbly moment, but I made it up to the top of the pass, topping out at 11,900. It frustrates me that my body and my mind can’t be depended on at a certain point. So what do I do? Make plans to summit a fourteener next weekend. The only way to get better at something is to do it more often and like Mountain Gazette says, “When in doubt, go higher.”
Backpacking. Still love doing it and long for the day I can do another long trip. As I hike, I think about how similar the trail is to life. The obstacles you encounter, instead of hindering you, can actually help you progress down your path. You carry what you need on your back and if you bring too much, you end up hurting yourself. Picking good company to walk with is important in insuring you have fun when it rains. There is something about being able to pump your own water, catch your own dinner, and survive a storm that makes you stronger.
Gossip Girl. I can’t believe how excited I got for the premiere of a TV show. That isn’t Lost. I came out of the GG closet tonight and showed my fiance the (dark? shallow? trashy?) side of me that LOVES this show. After watching it with me, he called it a teenage version of Sex and the City. And he’s not too far off. What can I say? A girl’s gotta have her guilty pleasures and I cannot get enough of Chuck Bass.
Good sauce. However you define the good stuff, I had lots of it this weekend. Pushing my body to achieve more. Playing cribbage. Eating fish caught out of a nearby lake. Drinking hot chocolate and laughing. Disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with friends. Napping in a tent while it rains outside.
There’s nothing better than a three-day weekend to remind you what all that labor is for…
Here are a few of my favorite things from this year’s conference:
Partying with the Kirtsy chicks. This is now the fourth state we’ve hung out in and I always enjoy our time together. An inspiring group of women that never cease to amaze me. Thanks for the invite ladies. And thanks
for your backyard and the paella Guy.
Wearing cuteshoes and having a straight man compliment me on them.
Partying in a department store. I’ve never done it before and it turned out to be both weird and awesome all at the same time. The party started off a little awkward in the handbag department, but by the time we had made it up to lingerie, we were ready to roll. (The hot chocolate shots and KY lube samples were highlights of that floor!) While I may have had some flashbacks of Mannequin, I just thank god I didn’t break anything.
The “lactation lounge”…I didn’t hang out in there, but I challenge you to find something like that at any other conference.
Ridiculous swag. I recycled almost 2/3 of all the freebies I received and I still had this much…
The BlogHer Unconference and the amazing amount of knowledge exchanged and connections made.This event is the perfect way to end the weekend. It’s always exactly what it should be.
Spending time with inspiringmotherswhopatiently listened as I talked about wanting kids and swooning ovaries. Here’s one trying to ignore me as I continue to talk about it…
Listening, learning, laughing, building new relationships and strengthening old ones. Ironic that at a blogging conference I wasn’t blogging. But I was too busy interacting to be bothered with logging on.
Thanks to all those I met. You’ve restored my hope in the humanity behind the Internet and reminded me just how powerful women speaking their truths can be.
