The adorable couple in the photo above are my grandparents, on their second date in Sugar City, Colorado. Granddad agreed to their first date as a favor to a friend, whose girl wouldn't go out with him without a chaperone, who would also need a date. This double half-blind date lead to a 70 year-long relationship that still blows my mind... 

This post is a letter to that couple, 70 years ago till now, from a granddaughter who misses them very much.

Dear Grandma and Grandpa, 

I'm a bit late to the game, where reporting on the Summer #Omniten trip is concerned, but that doesn't mean it didn't make an impact on me.

On the contrary, the time taken to process this adventure feels short compared to how much this trip meant to me. I'm going to try and capture it in this post, and be a good gear reviewer too, but I have a feeling I'm going to fall short. 

How do you put into words feelings of belonging, rejuvenation, discovery and wonder? It felt like breathing again, after a long time under water. I'll be clear here, grad school and internship in this metaphor are the water I've been drowning in - though I did get a taste of what it's like not to breathe for a bit on this trip too...

WHOOO! I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!!

As part of the Summer 2013 #OmniTen crew, I got a batch of Omni Freeze Zero gear to test out. Here is the low-down...

WHOOO HOOOO!!!

I have amazing news! I was just notified yesterday that I received an American Alpine Club Research Grant!! 

What do I need a grant for, you may ask? This summer as my capstone project for my masters degree in Adventure Therapy, I will be running a Women's Trauma Informed Rock Climbing program. Awesome? Yes. More than I can handle? No - but I do need some help...

So I came home today and there was a box on my doorstep... 

This post is about that, and how synthetic materials and card board made me cry.

I am the kind of person who selects "In Store Pickup" because I can't stand to wait for the UPS truck to come. I am the queen of finding the fastest and most efficient way to accomplish things. I abhor wasted time, especially in the context of life goals. I stuck with my original undergrad degree choice, graduated on time with no changes, and was employed in my field within two months of graduating. Can anyone out there relate?
Boom! Get 'er done. Big stuff, small stuff, why can't it just happen now? In some cases, it can. What I am about to advocate, is that it shouldn't.

The reason is way deeper than you may expect - delaying gratification and all that jazz is a sign of solid character. It is way more than that. I've even created a diagram to help out. But before you get concerned, let me reassure you that the bit of info below may put life, yours and others, into a clear perspective. 

So, why shouldn't we have our future now? Why does time need to be involved in change and progress?

Enter "Creative Systems Theory." (Here is the diagram too.)

In the past 12 months I've taken 24 credits on the human condition. From psychopathology, to groups, to how we need love to thrive as individuals. I've read more than I'll ever retain. I've been horrified and mesmerized and awe inspired at the depths of the human soul. With these new tools and perspectives, I've begun peering even deeper into mine.

Last night I went to see the premier (OMG) of the REEL ROCK 7 film tour in Boulder, CO. It was phenomenal. And I got to meet Alex Honnold (I peed myself a little). I couldn't help but notice that it was a bit nippy outside (and inside). Wait - summer isn't endless? I was sure it would last forever this time. People all over Chautaqua last night were sporting their latest Pata-gucci puffy. The elite Boulder climbers were out on the town. 

With the weather turning cold, I went through my closet and pulled out a favorite: 
The EMS Divergence Fleece Jacket.
(Who needs Pata-gucci?) 

So this blog isn't dead. (And neither are my hopes and dreams. More on that in a second.)

I wanted to get that off my chest right away. "They" say that the average lifespan of a blog is less than two years. Mine has been around for a bit longer than that now. That's a win right there. The absence of posting over the summer, however, would suggest that I am no longer active as a writer. The contrary is true: I'm writing constantly - for grad school - which leaves little time for anything else. My summer job took my time, grad school took my brain. Nothing is left for the internet.

But I have a dream...

You hear that word over and over in climbing. “Yo bra! You just gotta commit to that move!” or “That 14 pitch 5.11 trad climb in Canada is super committing.” If you climb, you know that feeling, that moment - when you HAVE to commit. If you don’t, you fail.