Homeless by Choice

So yes, I am homeless by choice. I never imagined as a child that I would someday wish to be homeless, but here I am. There are many reasons for my choice and I've been getting a lot of questions lately about WHY I wouldn't want to just rent a place in Moab? Well....I've realized that I am very prone to getting into bad  "routines",  meaning that I tend to get lazy and stay inside a lot of the time when I have a comfortable place to live. Sounds strange for someone as outdoorsy as me, but sometimes I just get stuck inside and I don't really like that about myself. To remedy this tendency I've decided to live outside for a while and to be honest, it's extremely fun! I spend the day either working or playing outside in some manner....and as night falls I drive into the desert to find a place to rest my head. It's so beautiful being in the great wide open under the stars. I've never had so much time to ponder the cosmos, meditate, relax, breathe.....and each morning I get to witness the sunrise, something I've rarely witnessed in my lifetime.

I've come to the conclusion that no material item will ever matter as much as how I feel and living outside has made me feel ALIVE. Yes, it can be scary....but the more you do anything the more comfortable you become with it. I'm starting to feel comfortable without a home and a lot more comfortable with myself as a whole. Sometimes a drastic change is necessary in order to progress, and it's about time I made some major changes in my life.

Stay tuned for more revelations and self discovery. Thanks for following!!

Embarking on my own journey

I feel like I am finally ready to embark on my own personal journey. For the longest time I feel like I have been waiting for the right moment to take off, explore and do things for ME. If you follow me, it may seem like I have been doing just that; but, I haven't truly let go of the things that hold me back. Often times I feel myself tied down by finances, friends, a boyfriend, or worst of all: fear. Three years ago, I remember having this dream as I sat at my job in California: I imagined myself packing up my things into my car and taking off all alone to camp/live out of my car and experience the world through my own eyes. There's something about camping and living outside that brings me back to the basics of what life is really all about. For so long I've been living inside, spending too much time on the computer and dreaming about what it would be like to take off on my own. Back then I was terrified just thinking about doing something like this all alone! Today, I am finally at a point where I feel like I'm truly ready to do it. I want to learn how to live life only for myself and specifically, not depending on anyone else for my happiness. Being 25, almost 26, I feel like it's finally time to step up and learn what it means to truly live. This is really exciting for me and I'm going to be writing a lot along the way. My first stop is going to be Moab where I will be working as a waitress/bartender and camping/living out of my car to save money, climb, highline adventure as much as possible. I hope to save up enough money to do some traveling amongst other things. Here is a quote from one of my favorite books of all time, "Eay, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, that sums up how I feel about what I'm about to do. 

“I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call "The Physics of The Quest"- a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: 

If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all -to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself....then truth will not be withheld from you." Or so I've come to believe.”  ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

GEAR REVIEWS MARCH 2012

I've decided to share some of my favorite outdoor gear lately. There is so much stuff on the market, but the following are what I've found to be the best of the best. Thanks to Mountain Hardwear, Balance Community, Chaco, Gregory Packs and Brooks-Range Mountaineering for providing me with some of this gear: it's been tremendously helpful!!

Nitrous Jacket by Mountain Hardwear

This is the women's Nitrous Jacket by Mountain Hardwear. I love it. It's super light, packs down nicely, comes in some amazing colors and is soft and cozy. It's perfect for mild temperatures but you can also layer underneath or over the top. It's definitely my favorite puffy right now! It also comes in men's or with a hood.

Women's Lomasi 60 Liter Pack by Mountain Hardwear

This is the women's Lomasi 60 liter pack by Mountain Hardwear. I am not sure I can say enough about it. It's the best 60 liter pack I've ever used and here's why. First of all, it has a removable brain and underneath that brain is a permanent "mini brain" to substitute if you are carrying lighter loads. It's super comfy and disperses weight very well. It also has an adjustable back for different body types. There is a waterproof compartment in the "mini brain" that's perfect for storing electronics or other items that should't get wet. There are many compartments on this pack, which I love, and it also has front access to the body.The zippers are high quality and I haven't had any trouble with them; I like that they are reinforced with plastic tubes which make them easier to zip open and closed. I love the "sinches"; the design makes it really easy to tighten and loosen. I haven't had a design like that before and I really like it. Because it's so adjustable, I feel like this pack is great for many different uses: day hikes, climbing trips, backpacking, overnights....I am recommending it to my friends!

Women's Epic Jacket by Mountain Hardwear

A fantastic hard shell for rainy or windy conditions, the women's Epic Jacket by Mountain Hardwear is such a pretty blue! Waterproof and with breathable material it allows for a very dry experience :-P There are also pit zips for extra breathability, an adjustable hood, and mesh pockets. YES!

Petit Dru Pro 85 Liter Pack by Gregory

This is the women's Petit Dru Pro 85 liter pack by Gregory. I am beyond excited to have this pack: it fits ALL of my highline gear (and that's a TON of gear) and it's also perfect for overnights. It has super durable material, reinforced gear loops, front access, a removable brain that becomes a "fanny pack" and has what they call the "Flo Form 2" waist belt which is SUPER comfortable. It's a squishy type material that feels really good against the skin and doesn't itch or scratch as you walk. I am in love with this pack and will be using it for all of my trips where a ton of gear is necessary. Thanks Gregory for supporting my lifestyle!

Women's Torlan Shoe by Chaco

Chaco just came out with a new spring line and this is one of their new approach shoes! It's called the Torlan for women (also available in men's) and is a great addition to their product line. It's a very versatile shoe that I've been wearing for hanging around, going to work, and approaching climbs/highlines. It's lace up, has Vibram rubber on the bottom which is nice and grippy and has a wider footbed for extra room. Love, love, love!

Updraft Sandal by Chaco

This is the new women's Updraft Sandal by Chaco! It has a new "TPU frame" with ergonomic support posts for light-weight fit (different than their original frame), it's vegan, and has a non-marking sole. Chacos are just the best for so many things! Everywhere I go, I see Chacos. Thanks Chaco for inviting me to be on your Ambassador Team! Here's a link to their recent blog post about the new team:

CHACOS NEW AMBASSADOR TEAM

1 inch threaded "Slack-Spec" webbing by Balance Community

This is my favorite webbing in the WORLD. I love tubular webbing to begin with, but when it's threaded it reduces sharpness of the line, distributes weight and therefore increases the life of your webbing. I love it for tricklining. When you're doing butt bounces, jumps, chest bounces it's much more forgiving than any Gibbon line. You get a lot more air time and therefore have more time in the air to adjust your body positions. I also like it for highlining anywhere from 20 - 60 feet. I like training tricklining on highlines with this webbing because it's so much softer on my body. It's the softest, bounciest, more special line ever.

SMC 3" Double Pulley sold by Balance Community

These are my favorite pulley's for slacklining by far. They are ball bearing so are super smooth and paired up they create a 5:1 pulley system tensioning lines up to ~300 feet. If you use 4 of them, you will have a 9:1 system allowing you to tension even longer lines. I love them for tricklining, longlining and highlining. My favorite for sure! I bring them on every slackline adventure. Thanks Balance Community for providing such high quality slackine gear and having me on the Pro Team! I am so grateful to be involved with such a professional and high quality gear provider.

BALANCE COMMUNITY PRO TEAM

Black Mountain Soft Shell by Brooks Range Mountaineering

Last but not least, this is the Black Mountain Soft Shell by Brooks Range Mountaineering. It's such a high quality soft shell I feel lucky that I get to wear it. It is a water-resistant and breathable material with a fleece lining for ultra comfort. It zips up high, covering your chin but also has a zipper chin guard. The hood is helmet compatable which I love and it is very warm by itself without any layering. Brooks Range is also coming out with a waterproof down jacket, so check out their website! www.brooks-range.com

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of these reviews and if there is anything else you would like to see on here.