My friend Esther French is off doing some wicked cool stuff with the Women of Aviation organization. I need the tumblr community to go vote for her!!
IT’S SUPER EASY. Just go to this website and click “vote” for Esther’s video (the bottom one!)
Stories and photos from my adventures out West coming soon …. after I finish all the associated graduate work!
Here’s a preview from the Wind River Mountain Range….
So this is Kyle’s mom sitting here with a scanned copy of Kyle’s NOLS calendar which she breathlessly emailed me 10 days ago before leaving for the Wind River Range on the hiking/backpacking/camping section of her NOLS semester. She hadn’t even left NOLS HQ yet and was already declaring it the most wonderful experience of her entire life. She met new friends in the airport in Denver who were also on her flight to Lander and they talked all the way there about NOLS. They ended up being roommates. Happy, stoked, psyched, ecstatic aren’t near enough adjectives to describe her right now.
Well, she is due to return tomorrow to Lander briefly, and I mean briefly-like a half day, before leaving for NOLS 3 Peaks Ranch back in the Wind River Range for her Wilderness First Responder class and certification conducted by NOLS WMI (Wilderness Medical Institute). We shall see how the first section went if she has a chance to call, text or email.
She returns to Lander from the WFR course on Oct. 8th. Looks like she will have a couple of days in Lander so maybe we’ll have some real details by then. Until then, this is all the news that’s fit to print as they say.
I’d have to say that my creative side is a positive asset. However, it’s not always convenient - and I think my creativity is inherently linked to my impulsiveness, which doesn’t always work well. So often it seems like my creative juices get flowing at the wrong times - like when I was in college and trying to study, or like right now when it’s 1:00 AM and I should be getting sleep so I can begin packing tomorrow for NOLS, and be rested enough to spend and enjoy quality time with my family. My eyes and my body are physically tired after hiking all day with Dad at Hocking Hills State Park. I’m ready to go to sleep. But my mind is alight with ideas that I can’t wait to start executing.
So, why is this? Right now, my body and my soul are in two different places. They are not united, as they should be. My mind isn’t recognizing the fact that my body needs rest. Besides for the practical side of just not getting enough sleep, my mind itself is disorganized, and I’m experiencing nervousness about things I shouldn’t be nervous about. There is no reason to feel such anxiety, but I do. Why? Because my mind is not still. I need to come back into the present moment and allow myself to feel excitement without letting those feelings control me. By remaining conscious of my prana (breath), I can refocus my energy and meditate on regaining a still, clear mind. What better way to start my NOLS course than from a centered place of heart and head? I hereby adopt a new mantra: Be still. Here is where I shall focus when my high energy levels cause chaos in my brain.
Meditating on this mantra will help me through the next few days as I wait to depart from home to begin my NOLS course. I will begin tomorrow by practicing 30 sun salutations to bring my heart and mind back to center.
Be still.
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia - next winter. This one is certain-ish.
India.
Nepal.
(don’t know when, but I’m going).
Palestine and the West Bank with my dad and brother next summer, if things are well in that part of the world by then. We are going to go to our old family home in Ramallah - where my great grandmother Nejla and great-grandfather Audi lived. Hopefully the Israelis wouldn’t give me and my brother too much trouble for the Arabic tattooed on our arms…we can expect to be temporarily detained despite our American passports because of our Arabic last name. All depends on the conditions there…The Palestinians may claim unilateral independence this fall, in which case the Israelis would close the borders. We’ll see.
Next, Spain. Paul and I want to live there for some time, learn Spanish, climb.
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Some of that is realistic. Some…not. Not yet, at least. I pitched the thought of taking an extended time to travel, 8 months to a year or so. It’s a possibility but still isn’t a fully hatched idea yet. We’ll incubate that one for a few more months…not like we’ll be able to plan while I’m at NOLS!
Speaking of which.
I leave for Lander, WY in 3 days. THREE. DAYS.
I’m a nervous monkey
Finding a damn pair of boots that fits my irregularly sized feet…THAT’s the hard part. APPARENTLY.
Short of pulling a Beatrix Kiddo and flying all the way to Okinawa so some sage zenmaster badass can make me a custom made katana pair of backpacking boots, what the hell is it going to take to find a set that works?
Halp.
My right foot is bigger (namely, wider) than my left.
I have low volume heels,
and a wide forefoot.
I am also an alien.
Update: Found boots. Salomon Lady Comets fit just like my trail runners and an added bonus, they’re light, too!
