Author: animalia7

“The world is blue at its edges and in its depths…”

animalia7 Asia, Poetry and Stories Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

This light that does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue.

view from Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa, Vietnam, 2012

“The world is blue at its edges and in its depths. This blue is the light that got lost. Light at the blue end of the spectrum does not travel the whole distance from the sun to us. It disperses among the molecules of the air, it scatters in water. Water is colorless, shallow water appears to be the color of whatever lies underneath it, but deep water is full of this scattered light, the purer the water the deeper the blue. The sky is blue for the same reason, but the blue at the horizon, the blue of land that seems to be dissolving into the sky, is a deeper, dreamier, melancholy blue, the blue at the farthest reaches of the places where you see for miles, the blue of distance. This light that does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue.

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Ko Phi Phi, Thailand, 2012

For many years I have been moved by the blue at the far edge of what can be seen, that color of horizons, of remote mountain ranges, of anything far away. The color of that distance is the color an emotion, the color of solitude and of desire, the color of there seen from here, the color of where you are not. And the color of where you can never  go. For the blue is not in the place those miles away at the horizon, but in the atmospheric distance between you and the mountains. ‘Longing,’ says the poet Robert Hass, ‘because desire is full of endless distances.’ Blue is the color of longing for the distances you never arrive in, for the blue world.”

Fishtail Nepal

View of Machapuchare, Nepal, 2012

— Rebecca Solnit

from A Field Guide to Getting Lost

If you’d like to read the whole essay, you can find it here: “The Blue of Distance”

My Soon-To-Be-Former Roommate Ramon, the House Centipede

animalia7 Colorado Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

I live in a basement, which means I have the pleasure of putting up with certain arthropoda tenants. The spiders and I have struck a deal: I leave them alone as long as they stay out of my bed, the shower (but only while I’m in it, free reign rest of the time) and the dresser drawers. Unfortunately, sometimes they break our treaty, and so have to deal with the consequences, which involves meeting their fates in either the flushing-whirlpool-of-death ( the toilet), or in the giant-tissue-of-smashedness (self-explanatory). In circumstances of extremely blatant disregard of our pact, both methods have been deployed.

The arachnids don’t really bother me all that much, although I do wonder what exactly their food supply is. I hope there’s not too much down there in terms of spider food… which is somewhat mean to the spiders I guess, but I’m sorry, I sleep there. I’m just weird like that, I prefer to share my bed with mammals only (like cats that knead me in the neck and little dogs that snore).

These dudes, however, are not my favorites:

house centipede in the basement

I caught him running across the carpet, heading towards the no-fly/crawl zones of the dresser and the bed, and was forced to take defensive action.

So of course I had to trap it under a clear glass, bring it upstairs, and take pictures (isn’t that what everyone does?). This guy’s too big to smash (a couple inches long), so he’s going outside in the cold once I’m done examining him. Which is probably more cruel, now that I think about it, than just smashing and meeting a quick end. Outside, he’ll maybe freeze (unless he makes it back into the house before the cold causes him to stop moving, which is entirely possible). Or, maybe he’ll be eaten by something else, in which case I’m contributing to the natural cycle of the world (or as much of the natural cycle lives in the backyard of a house in the city). Hopefully he’ll make a nice meal for some critter. I figure throwing him outside at least gives him a fighting chance (of finding his way into the neighbor’s house).

Anyway, you’re probably wondering what this is: and I shall tell you.

This is a house centipede. It has 15 pairs of legs, one pair per body segment (I counted). Now, according to the Pennsylvania State University website I looked up, the hind legs of females are twice the length of the body, which leads me to conclude that this is a dude, (though think I may be wrong). Those back legs look to be maybe the length of his body, but I’m not about to get in there with a ruler. Mostly because I don’t have one. Therefore, I named him Ramon (but it could be Ramona).

Ramon the House Centipede

Ramon can do tricks, and stand on his hind legs. Wave hello to the nice people Ramon!

All centipedes are venomous, though most don’t bite people, and if they do it only hurts a little bit. Or so I hear. House centipedes are believed to be from the Mediterranean region, and then somehow got to Mexico and the southern U.S. and spread from there. Talented little buggers.

(Though it should be noted that they are not in fact ‘bugs’. True bugs are insects of the order Hemiptera, which are aphids, cicadas, shield bugs and 50,000 to 80,000 other species. It should also be noted that most people find it annoying when you correct them about the difference between ‘bugs’ and insects– “not all insects are bugs, but all bugs are insects.” This is especially true when you follow it up with detailed descriptions of your Entomology class experiment involving opossum carcasses, species succession, and counting maggots– then they usually start gagging and wondering how fast they can change the subject. That class was awesome, though a bit smelly at times. Dr. Carreno, I want you to know that I considered further study in entomology, but birds won out by just that much over beetles).

house centipede caught under cup

“Because of their secretive nature, scary appearance and darting motions, homeowners typically fear the house centipede. In 1902, C.L. Marlatt, an entomologist with the United States Department of Agriculture writes in Circular #48 – The House Centipede: ‘It may often be seen darting across floors with very great speed, occasionally stopping suddenly and remaining absolutely motionless, presently to resume its rapid movements, often darting directly at inmates of the house, particularly women, evidently with a desire to conceal itself beneath their dresses, and thus creating much consternation.’ Undoubtedly, the current favor of blue jeans as a preferred article of clothing has not appreciably reduced the angst felt by the household “inmates” when a centipede is seen scurrying across the basement floor.” (Penn State Entomology website, House Centipede article).

Indeed, the consternation of the household inmate was not reduced by the fact that said inmate was indeed wearing pants.

wave goodbye ramon

Adios Ramon.

 

And here’s a cool blog I just discovered that talks about house centipedes and the reproduction of other creatures:

How Animals Do It

 

The Coffee Shops of Boulder

animalia7 Colorado Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

As one of those writer-types, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. Luckily, there are a variety of choices  in Boulder, so I can frequently change it up. Here are my impressions of some of them, in no particular order:

 

Brewing Market Coffee

Brewing Market Coffee, Basemar plaza.

Brewing Market off Baseline: Has fantastic pictures taken by the one and only Max Seigal (yes, this is a shameless plug for his photography business. I’m hoping that eventually he’ll pay me for referrals). Pretty good coffee, good chai (my favorite is the ginger chai), good loose tea. Small tables, but lots of plugs all over the place, especially in the front section. They like to fill the coffee cups up to the brim, so unless I put on a lid I always end up knocking into the table and spilling. I usually try to bring my own travel mug, it’s safer. It’s also close to home,which is nice for a quick escape. I also like the atmosphere, and all of the baristas I’ve interacted with over the years have been nice and friendly.

 

Starbucks off Baseline: I’ve only been there twice, both times early. It seems like a CU hangout, so I’d avoid it during prime study hours. There’s one nice biggish table with easy outlet access, and a few smaller tables. The vanilla spice latte is pretty good. I don’t especially like Starbucks coffee, but I have a gift card, and it’s hard to pass up free coffee drinks. Perk of having a school teacher mom– she gives you all the gift cards that she doesn’t use (thank you to all the band students at Copley-Fairlawn Middle and High Schools. And to whoever keeps giving a box of Candy Cane Joe Joe’s from Trader Joes– student of the year. Mom, this is the real reason I come home for Christmas. Just kidding– it’s actually for Grandma Cindea’s dinner rolls). I also have a Cheesecake Factory gift card, if anyone wants to go. I finally live somewhere that has a Cheesecake Factory, so I should probably use it up. (The fact that my review detours into Ohio should tell you something…). This Starbucks is also close to home, though the parking lot is tiny, and there are tons of college kids, even before 8 am on a Saturday (what college student gets up that early?). Makes for interesting people watching.

 

Starbucks off 28th: One of the baristas’ is named Lauren, and she complimented my earrings (they were gulls that day). She also had pretty snazzy earrings herself. Everyone who came in seemed to know the various baristas by name, and they seemed to know everyone who came in. Not every table has access to a plug, and it’s a little cozy inside, but I like it and have gotten quite a bit of work done there. If I’m not feeling Brewing Market, this is my go-to spot. Again though, I have a gift card.

 

OZO coffee

OZO Coffee Co.

Ozo Coffee Co. on Pearl St.: Noisy in the front, but they have Bhakti Chai. Can see the Flatirons from the front window. Friendly baristas. Small 2 person table is perfect size for one with a laptop and notebook. Quite a few people working, and having meetings, meeting up with friends. Woman with her small daughter having hot chocolate on a Tuesday mid-morning. Outlet placement not ideal, and I didn’t have one at my table (seemed like there should have been one, but there wasn’t). This is where I first met Lauren Rains, editor of Outdoor Minded Mag (with whom I am now interning). She says they’re serious about coffee here, and it has a good atmosphere  but she also likes Laughing Goat for the happy hour and live music. I’m cheap (and the drinks aren’t), and I have to park a couple blocks away for the free parking, so I don’t frequent the coffee spots on Pearl St. all that often.

 

Starbucks on Pearl and 15th: Again, gift card. Lots of head space, feels open, nice calm atmosphere. Seem to be fair number of plugs by tables around walls, but I got stuck with one in the middle (I really need to start getting out earlier or something). Internet seems to be a little slow, some pages take a few refreshes to load. Not unpleasant, I’d come here again. I find Starbucks drinks to be okay, not the best, but tolerable. Not as crowded as other shops I’ve been to, people seem to come in and leave with their drinks, not hang out all day. Just saw a guy sitting at a table by the door get up and open the door for a woman with a stroller. I like Boulder.

 

Vic's Espresso logo

Vic’s, off Walnut St.: Two levels, though I only spotted one plug on the upper level– wait, have discovered a second. Not too many tables, but on a Monday afternoon there was barely anyone there, four people total not including myself. Nice long tea list. Have a television that seems to only play annoying day-time TV, which is why I always have headphones. Dislike that they close at 6 p.m., since I usually only am free to write early in the morning or later in the evening.

 

The Cup, off Pearl: Ashley and I stopped by one night as we were wandering the streets, and bought a cup of peppermint tea to warm us up (and so we could use the bathroom). It was $6 for two. I mean, seriously? $3 for a cup of tea? Have yet to go back, though it does seem like it would be a good place to work, with lots of tables and a back room.

 

Laughing Goat Coffee Shop Boulder

Laughing Goat

Laughing Goat, on Pearl: Lots of plugs,  with a slightly battered/artsy feel. Good tea, haven’t had the coffee yet. Holed up for a long session of layout work with Lauren for OMM, and I really enjoyed it. Some of the tables seemed a little off-kilter, but mine in the corner was good. Some of the tables are good sized, others are teeny tiny (as in I could barely fit my 13 inch laptop on the surface).  I foresee many more long work days spent there.

 

Amante Coffee, off Baseline (the new one): new location, just opened up a few weeks ago. Don’t know that it’s been “discovered” by the masses yet, which means it’s pretty calm inside and not difficult to find an open table (or hasn’t been the few times I’ve been inside). Lots of outlets downstairs, and there’s a second level which has some relatively comfy couches and chairs, but only one discovered outlet. They also have Bhakti Chai (always a plus in my book).

 

There are many more coffee places to discover and many more words to write, so I shall continue my research and let you know when I’ve found the perfect work place.

Boulder, Colorado

animalia7 Colorado Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Welcome to Boulder, Colorado!

Boulder, Colorado is a mix of all sorts of things, but most of them have to do with being outside. This is a town where one can buy oxygen*, grass (wheatgrass or marijuana), and water at exorbitant prices, but can also be immersed in all three for free in any of the more than 40,000 acres of protected green space in and around the city.

Perhaps the most iconic symbol of Boulder is the image of the Flatirons, rock formations located just west of town. Named by pioneer women who thought they looked like irons (not especially creative, but an apt description), they are conveniently located a few minutes from downtown. The Third Flatiron stands 1,400 feet tall, and was first climbed by Floyd and Earl Millard in 1906, the earliest recorded rock climb in Colorado. Since then it has been climbed thousands of times in a number of fashions, including by two men wearing roller skates, by only the light of the full moon, and naked.

The Flatirons

The Flatirons

Boulderites like to play hard. The city hosts a “robust biking culture,” and many take advantage of the roughly 300 miles of bike lanes and paths, which are used year-round. On an average day, city employees counted 3,574 bikes in the downtown area. About 15% of the city’s annual transportation budget goes towards bike programs, and about 10% of all work commutes are made by bike, almost 20 times the national average.

The first people to live in the Boulder area were Native Americans of the Arapahoe tribe. Then in 1859 came the white men and the Boulder City Town Company, who divvied up the land into parcels and sold them for $1,000 per lot, later lowered to attract more buyers. The Territory of Colorado itself wouldn’t be established for two more years. Prior to 1861 Boulder was part of the Territory of Nebraska, which probably has nothing to do with the University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes / University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football rivalry. The University of Colorado has been up and running in Boulder since 1877, and today hosts about 30,000 students.

The University of Colorado Boulder campus

The University of Colorado Boulder campus

Without Pearl Harbor, Boulder might not have grown into the town it is today. During WWII, the US Navy located its Japanese school at UC Boulder, which brought people from all over the country to the area. After the war, many of them came back, increasing the population by about 10,000. The 300 days of sun a year probably had something to do with it. Today, the population is just under 100,000.

According to a mile-high list of publications, Boulder is an ideal place to live if you are: a woman executive, innovative, a biker, happy, a foodie, well-read, an in-shape baby-boomer, educated, brainy, raising an outdoor kid, an artist, someone who works for a technology start-up, part of a LGBT family, or someone who likes trees, among other things. Says one local, “I love Boulder, sure there are a lot of people who are weird as shit (last night I had a 50 something hippy tell me she could teach me yoga while having sex with my girlfriend) but that’s half the fun of living here.”

Frosty Flatirons

Frosty Flatirons

References:

10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Third Flatiron. By Amanda Fox, Climbing Magazine. http://www.climbing.com/climber/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-third-flatiron

The Best Bike Cities in North America: Boulder, Colorado. By Sarah Ripplinger, Outside Magazine. http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/The-Best-Bike-Cities-in-North-America-Boulder-Colorado.html

The Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid: The Winning 25. By Jason Stevenson, Backpacker Magazine. http://www.backpacker.com/august_09_the_best_cities_to_raise_an_outdoor_kid/articles/13125

Boulder, Colorado: The City Everyone Loves to Love/Hate. By Ryan Krogh, Outside Magazine: http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Boulder-Colorado.html

Boulder, Colorado USA (Boulder Conventions & Visitors Bureau): http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/

*Boulder’s Tonic Oxygen Bar goes ‘herban.’ By Alicia Wallace, The Daily Camera. http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_13248260

City of Boulder, Colorado Homepage: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/

The Gore-Tex Vortex. By Marc Peruzzi, Outside Magazine.  http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/united-states/colorado/boulder/The-Gore-Tex-Vortex.html

Mountain Project Boulder page, submitted by John McNamee: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/boulder/105801420

Oxygen bar’s clients are encouraged to inhale. By Barbara Hey, Denver Post. http://extras.denverpost.com/life/oxygenbar0328.htm

Wikipedia: Boulder, Colorado. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder,_Colorado

Wikipedia: Colorado-Nebraska football rivalry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado%E2%80%93Nebraska_football_rivalry

Picture Attributes: 

Boulder postcard: http://www.yoganonymous.com/

CU Boulder campus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CU_boulder_campus.jpg

Flatirons images courtesy of the author

Utah Wandering

animalia7 Utah Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments


Utah road

 

I’ve lived a lot of places, but I’ve never lived out here, in the desert of Utah. I wonder what it would be like, to wake every day to this. It looks like simple starkness in all direction, but looks can be deceiving. We drove past a man walking down the highway–on the wrong side of the road I might add, he should be walking against traffic. Not that it matters, with so few cars. We’ve only passed maybe 10 so far this morning, including all those in town where we stopped for gas, coffee, and the bathroom. I forgot to brush my teeth. The man was miles from the nearest building, at least a 30 minute drive from our direction, 5 miles in the other according to the sign he passed. It’s just after 8 a.m. Where is he going, and where did he come from?

This is a long road to walk to get to nowhere in particular, and probably even longer to get to somewhere specific.

dog in Utah

Corrugated Hummingbirds

animalia7 Central/South America Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

I’m almost wary to draw my hand away, as if, without me to hold it, the heft of the skies, heavy with stars and longings, would fall.

Belize

Written during my trip to Belize, July 2010. All pictures are from that trip. 

There is something about water, the sound of water, that is relaxing, almost numbing, but refreshing as well. The cleansing sound of water, reaching those places inside that even the sun cannot see.

I’m sitting on a raised deck on a tiny island off the coast of Belize, in the wind, in the dark. The surf and the wind in the palms behind me blend together into a wild, reckless sound that fills my soul with a deep longing, a restlessness of the spirit. I have a moment of profound loneliness, a deep ache echoed in the night sky.

The deck shakes a little, and the railing over the water is loose and shifting in the wind, causing vibrations that feel like footsteps, the footsteps of someone who isn’t coming. I can see out in the dark to the reef, to a light way out over the water, perhaps another caye. Behind me are palms dancing, and a bit of corrugated iron roofing that somehow manages to hold on to the deck bangs strenuously. The nails must be strong, tenacious, to defeat the continuous, mildly violent, wind.

Belize cayes

I could close my eyes and be a thousand miles from here, on the Florida panhandle, about to bed down for the night behind an abandoned motel, listening to the wind. That wind was more primeval and had more force, violence, to it. I could feel myself almost being blown away, swept off across the Gulf, like a ruby-throated hummingbird. This wind is not as strong, but there is still a restless aggression to it. I feel that it would sweep me back to the mainland if it could. The frigate birds and the pelicans glide it, soaring, holding their places in the sky. I wonder what effort it takes, to ride head-on into the wind, to glide smoothly side-to-side without flapping a wing.

Behind me also are lights of the other cabanas, the faint reminder of the rest of the human population. Looking up, I can see millions of stars in the night sky, fainter counterparts to these electric specks. I hold my hand up, fingers wide, to give infinity perspective. Here I sit, a speck of nothing, and yet galaxies span my palm. I hold nothing in my hand, and yet every molecule of air, every tiny pinprick of light, the essence of life, carries a weight, at times heavy enough that I can feel the pressure on my skin. I’m almost wary to draw my hand away, as if, without me to hold it, the heft of the skies, heavy with stars and longings, would fall.

When I looked up a while ago, throwing a thought to the stars and the wind, a shooting star streaked a short distance, beginning where my eyes first landed in the night sky. My thought given form, accepted into nature, my desire to ride the wind like the frigate birds now shooting across the heavens, between the gaps of my fingers, out into the everything-ness of the world.

Frigatebird in Belize

Sunset and frigate bird. Belize, 2010.

Thanks

animalia7 Ohio Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Written for my MatadorU course a few weeks ago. The assignment was to write a piece that included dialogue. There were a few other requirements as well, but I don’t remember what they were (other than the 500 word limit) and may have disregarded some of them anyway, so there’s no point in trying to figure out what they were. 

Yellowstone National Park

“Next please!”

I lead the way to the cashier.

“Ok Eric, you go first. Get your wallet out.” It’s already in his hand from the pouch of his hooded sweatshirt. Brown leather, embossed Ohio State logo on the front, bulging with old receipts. He’s the only male I’ve ever met who keeps coins in his billfold.

The cashier rings up his book: Jasotron: 2012. This is how he refers to it, for it’s important to recite the whole title each time the book is mentioned, which will happen hundreds of times in the next few days.

“That’s $17.49.” She is a young college student, in black-rimmed glasses and a cardigan, watching us quietly.

He looks at me over his glasses, one of his usual intense looks, staring into my eyes, waiting for me to re-direct.

“Ok, how are you going to pay?” I ask. “With your debit card or cash?”

“I think I have enough cash.” He thumbs through the bills; ones, a few fives, and two twenties.

“Then get out the right amount,” I say.

He pulls out a $20 bill, stares at it a beat longer than seems necessary, and hands it to the cashier. He won’t, or can’t, look at her. She efficiently completes the transaction.

“Here’s you change.”

He holds out a large hand, chapped and red because he won’t wear gloves or use lotion, and she carefully places the bills and coins into his palm. She puts the receipt between the pages of his book and slides it to him.

“Have a good evening,” she says. He won’t look up or acknowledge her, too busy putting bills and coins in their proper place, tucking his wallet safely away. He stands close behind me while I pay for my book, his nose buried in his purchase.

“Have a good evening,” she says again.

“Thanks, you too,” I reply.

He’s in the autism spectrum, I want to explain. He has Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. He’s 21 and he’s only once gone into a store alone and bought something by himself. He can’t make eye contact with strangers, and only with intense nudging will he speak to them. It used to be worse; now he’ll order for himself in restaurants.

He’s my little brother, and I can’t imagine life without him. He’s frustrating at times, but my life is infinitely richer because of him. He’s funny, he tells jokes. He’s genuine; he never tries to be something or someone he isn’t. He doesn’t know how to be malicious. He can do so much, if only you know how to prompt him along. Just because he appears to be unresponsive doesn’t mean he’s stupid. He can’t communicate. But we’re working on it.

Thanks, I want to say again. Thank you for treating him as you would any other customer. Thanks for trying to look him in the eye and understand.

I want to say this, but I don’t, and we walk out to the car.

Why I Climb

animalia7 Rock Climbing Tags: , , , Leave a comment
rock climbing jtree

Joshua Tree, California

My first piece has been published on the Outdoor Minded Mag website! I also did the layout, of which I am quite proud. It’s really fun to mess around with making things look just how you want them on the page, and I can spend hours tweaking spacing and sizing… it’s amazing how much time passes when you’re moving pictures around.

This piece has been in the works for quite a long time, since the last time I went climbing in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, which was a few years ago (2010 I believe…). It started as a journal excerpt, written as we were driving back to and from the climbing sites, and added to while waiting for pizza at Miguels after a long day of climbing (the pizza shop/campground/place to buy any gear your need or want/hang out for climbers in the Red– Miguels Pizza and Rock Climbing Shop). I had wanted to finish it for a while, but other things got in the way (life is annoying like that sometimes). Glad I could finally get it done, and especially excited that I could get it published and share it with everyone!

Here’s an excerpt:

Rock climbing is like an infection, some tiny bacteria that snuck in through a cut, multiplied, and almost without knowing it you’re speaking the lingo—words like “beta” and “redpoint” and “crimper.” You’re wearing the unofficial uniform of patched down jackets and ratty torn pants, spending hundreds of dollars on ropes and carabiners and bits of webbing and tight uncomfortable shoes, driving hundreds of miles so you can haul yourself up hundreds of tiny ledges and holds. It’s hard to figure out why you do this. It’s also hard to rationalize why being a climbing bum isn’t a good (long-term) life choice. – See more at: http://outdoormindedmag.com/why-i-climb-2/#sthash.w5bxg7OG.dpuf

Check it out, “like” it, share it, tell everyone you know! And do the same for OMM, because it’s an awesome magazine that everyone should read on a daily basis. Especially because I’ve now edited two pieces (and written one), which are contributing to the general awesomeness.

Link: Why I Climb

climbing red river gorge kentucky

Red River Gorge, Kentucky

The Flight of the Albatross

animalia7 Central/South America Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Written in 2009, about my trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2008.

Waved Albatross Galapagos Islands

Waved albatross, Galapagos Islands, 2008

There is a place where the wind blows and lifts. Cliffs on the ocean, looking down on the rocks and marine iguanas, sunning, swimming. The rocks look sharp, young, fresh. Untouchable, distant. Albatrosses walk up, a side-to-side gait, comical with their serious eyes. They reach the edge, spread broad, long wings, longer than they looked, so light, just feather and hollow bone, but strong, so strong for flight. They fall up. The wings are a parachute, the wind a friend, the air comforts, supports, pushes and pulls, holds. The giant bird floats along, moves past the rocks, the shrubby grasses, past life, from the center of vision to the periphery, a distinct form to a small dark dot, moving, moving, gone.

To follow—the urge is there. Spread arms and legs, spread dreams, spread soul, and let go. To move away from everything known, into the unknown. To trust, to fly. Is it the flier moving and the word standing still? Or the world moving past in an eye-watering blur and the flier, the bird, held in place, held frozen for a time, measurement suspended? But which way is the fall—up or down? Towards the stars or the rocks—similar, similar; just a difference of distance and iguanas. There is the other choice; to stay. The least attractive, the least risky, perhaps, for the moment.

How long does the moment last until the next? A picture does no justice, cannot capture the vitality of the actuality, the breath of the moment. There is only an idea left, a memory of a feeling, a sense of the wonder and the wild, of the perfectly regulated space of time when albatrosses fly.

Galapagos Islands albatross

Waved albatross, Galapagos Islands, 2008

Lauren Life Update

animalia7 Colorado Tags: , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Currently, my life is like this:

017_545x409

The Flatirons, just a short walk up the street from the house!

 

I am now living in Boulder, Colorado, in the basement of my good friend’s family. In exchange for room and board, I help out around the house, drive the little sisters all over the greater Boulder area, and help take care of the dogs. My friend and his mom are currently in Antarctica,  so my nanny/dog walker/chauffeur/entertainment buddy/dish washer services should be in less demand once they return.

 

Max Wilderness

Max on a boat in Antarctica, looking chill.

 

Side note: To read about Max’s adventures, check out the blog on his photography website: Max Wilderness. He’s got some neat pictures up from his most recent adventures in Patagonia and Antarctica.

 

 

 

 

Boulder Colorado

Buddy, one of my furry charges. He’s not nearly as innocent as he looks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When not driving Mikayla and Ashley to and from school and/or swimming lessons and/or doctor appointments/massages/yoga, I spend my days working on an online travel writing class, which is offered through MatadorU. They have a website full of many wonderfully written articles and pictures on all sorts of topics, from more traditional travel fare to pieces on social issues to food to interviews. There’s something for everyone there, and I have spent many an hour exploring the site when I meant to be working. Counts as research, right?

Check it out here: Matador Network

Matador Network
 

I am also now an editorial intern with Outdoor Minded Mag, an online magazine based here in Boulder. Or, I should say, that’s where Lauren (the editor) lives and works, so that’s where it’s based at the moment. She’s a very awesome person, and yesterday we spent hours holed up together in a coffee shop working on laying out some articles. It was a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to working with her. She recently skateboarded from Boulder to Denver, and wrote about it on the site (check it out through the link below). The website launched 6 months ago, so we’re still getting things put together, but I see the magazine heading in a great direction and I’m excited to be a part of it.

Check it out here: Outdoor Minded Mag

Outdoor Minded Mag

 

I’ve been climbing whenever I can, which isn’t quite as often as I would like. Wednesday I met up with a friend and we climbed for around 4 hours straight. My arms were so tired I could barely make it up a 5.8 by the end of the session. Climbing routes are rated by difficulty, the most difficult being a 5.15, the easiest being a 5.0. I usually climb 5.10’s, and some easier 11’s. 5.8’s are easy, beginner routes, that I normally do as warm-ups.

This site explains the rating system much better than I can:  Rock Climbing Ratings

Rock Climbing Utah

Climbing Castleton Tower in Utah, 2011. That’s Max’s foot, I’m climbing.

I’m hoping to break out my poor downhill skis, which have been languishing in the basement for the past two years, and ski on some real mountains, and in some real snow! Last time I skied was in Ohio, and I’m not sure that counts (and yes, there are places to ski in Ohio, I’ve been to three of the five “resorts”. Didn’t realize there were that many, I just looked it up). Although that one snowboarder who was in the Winter Olympics, Louie Vito, is from Ohio. Columbus, Ohio, which is about as flat as it gets.

I have a few leads for paying jobs, since climbing gym memberships, lift tickets, and gas are a bit pricey. I’ll keep you updated.

That’s all for now, folks!

Colorado Aspens

Aspens in the snow.