For the Love of Mud and Iron

Growing up, I lived in a small Texas town. I’ve written about it many times before. I love that town, but as a girl, I had dreams that didn’t really align with most, so I never really felt like I fit in. Of course there were women I looked up to and women I admire to this day, but men were the ones accomplishing the things my dreams were made of, and in a sense, I had to pave my own way. I was lucky enough to have parents with a more progressive mindset (don’t tell them I said that) in that they encouraged me to pursue those dreams and my dad specifically pushed me to make sure that I was prepared for the obstacles I’d encounter along the way. Even in the world I found myself in after the Marines, it’s predominantly men, but no one ever told me I couldn’t do it. I’ve had so many people cheer me on along the way, but of course there have been challenges–most of them, of my own making. Some say that male-dominated world is something we need to fix and some call it sexism, but I’d challenge that by saying, individually, we simply need to have bigger dreams, and not be afraid to chase them just because there hasn’t been someone “like us” to pave the way yet.

Kennedy Peak & the Perfect Fall Day Trip

Hiked: October 12, 2015

With fall here, this hike seemed like the perfect one to recap next. I discovered Kennedy Peak by chance when my parents came up to visit a couple of years ago. I grew up hiking with my dad, so I knew I had to take my parents to the Shenandoah. We decided to play it by ear and visit Sperryville, VA first, where Copper Fox Distillery is located. This place is totally worth the day trip if you live in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area, or ever find yourself in driving distance.

Signal Knob

Hiked: October 7, 2016

My last post about Mary’s Rock inspired me to do a series on all of the hikes I’ve done so far, in Virginia and elsewhere. I want to document my memories, and also hopefully inspire others to get out and explore the beauty God created. I’ve always had a love for hiking, but when I first moved here, I didn’t really know where to start, so hopefully this will give others some ideas. It took me a few years to work up the courage to get out there on my own. Signal Knob was the beginning of that.

Mary’s Rock

Hiked: August 5, 2017

Hiking is probably one of my favorite activities to do alone. Don’t get me wrong; I love sharing my passion for hiking with those I’m close to, but there’s a bit of a rush when it comes to venturing into the wilderness alone. I turned 30 last month, and I was in need of some time away from the chaos of the city to decompress and embrace this next phase of life. I got a bit more than I bargained for when I decided to hike Mary’s Rock last weekend, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that experience was meant to show me that I’m more than ready for what life brings me next.

MuMo: August 17, 2015

I went to my fifth show at Jammin’ Java last night. Am I becoming a bit of an addict? Possibly. Each experience has been unique to say the least and it’s proven to be great fun each time. Last night was probably my favorite show. I’m always keeping an eye on their calendar and last week I spotted Alpha Rev slated to perform. I recognized the name only because one of their songs recently popped up on my Lord Huron Pandora station and quickly became a favorite. After listening to a few more of their tunes and a few by opening band Jared & the Mill (a band I’d never heard of) I knew it’d be a great time.

2015 So Far

Well I’ve made my comeback. I can’t believe I went eight months without posting. I’ve been a bit distracted, to say the least. It’s been a busy year and I’ve absolutely loved every moment of it, but I’m ready to get back into writing. I’m going to make more of an effort to write despite what’s going on in my life. Here’s a bit of a snapshot of what I’ve been up to during my hiatus and all the things I totally meant to write about along the way.

Breaking Chains

I want you to live. I want you to embrace every day and every moment. When you open your eyes each morning and take your first breath, I want you to feel each molecule that fills your lungs and let them invigorate you. Let your walls down, throw off your chains, and let passion consume you.

So many of us live in chains. Often, those chains are of our own making, forged under the heat and pressure of bitterness. Sometimes the chains are inherited. We claim to have advanced so much as a society, and we have, yet so many of us refuse to relinquish the bitterness that stems from a former world. That world sometimes belongs to our ancestors. It sometimes belongs to our families. It sometimes belongs to our former selves. We mislead ourselves by telling each other that the bitterness is actually strength and courage and the quest for progress, but what are we really trying to prove, and who are we trying to prove it to?

MuMo: January 25, 2015

I just watched Gone Girl, finally. I’d read the book and knew it would be nuts, but seeing it come to life is a whole other story, especially when done so well. I still find it hilarious that they were calling it the “best date movie of the year” in the promos, because that movie will scare the hell out of anyone and you definitely walk away feeling bitter and jaded. Good job, Gillian Flynn and David Fincher. So after that twisted look at relationships, I thought I’d relax to some music.

In honor of artistic expression, here’s another round of Music of the Moment, or MuMo for short as I’ll be calling it from now on.

Condo Updates: Putting Everything Together

I’m overdue for another round of updates on my new little home. I wouldn’t call my updates “renovations” because I’m not taking on any big projects (yet), but I’m definitely having fun making it mine. There’s honestly no reason I couldn’t have done more with any of my old apartments, but buying a place meant that it was time to stop making ridiculous excuses like not painting or hanging much on the walls just because I might be moving in a year. No more procrastinating. (Let’s not talk about the suitcase I have yet to unpack from my Christmas trip to Texas…)

Music of the Moment: January 7, 2015

I have a lot of music suggestions scattered throughout some previous posts (see some of my favorites here), but this will be the first of many dedicated entirely to music. As I mentioned before, I love music. Those who know me know I like a variety of music and sometimes bizarre sounds. My sister once asked me if I was a closet druggie after I sent her some music I liked. Well no, I’m not a druggie, but music does give me a natural high. I like a lot of unusual stuff that isn’t widely known, but I’m not averse to mainstream bands either. If you don’t like this batch of songs, stick around, because I’m likely to go a completely different direction next time.

The stuff I post won’t always be new, but I’ll try to keep it worthwhile. You know those songs that just grab you? Yeah, those.