Granola, Fire, and the Pacific Northwest

"You just made me feel like a man". 

Umm what? That is precisely what a 65ish year old man with no teeth told me at Whole Foods today when I gave him a sample of Boulder Granola. How the hell do you respond to something like that? I'm pretty sure I gave a nervous, fake giggle back, but really inside I wanted to crawl into a dark hole...because I was pretty sure he was picturing me naked swimming in a pool of granola. Luckily that's about the creepiest thing I got all day during demos. There was one lady/man/womanish-man/woman who was talking about her time in jail and being a part of Occupy and how Americans don't have rights anymore. She told me to tell a cop to f*** off and see what happened...that'd I'd end up in jail. There's just no more freedom of speech according to this lady. In my eyes, maybe people are just losing their common sense...just saying. 

But what you should really get out of all that is the fact that I am now a Granola girl. Yep, that's right, I tour around to grocery stores and give out free samples of Boulder Granola to the everyday shopper. I know my glamorous life astounds you. It's okay to be speechless. I will send you a signed package of granola if you wish. In all honesty, Boulder Granola is a freakin amazing company and the granola will change your life so that you will basically breath happiness on to other people constantly. Frankly, right now it's a great way to be making a few bucks and helping a local company that I strongly support. Plus, the people watching is worth it all. 

Don't worry though, that is not the only thrilling thing going on in my life. I officially got a job for the summer! I got offered a job with Camp Thunderbird to be an extended trip leader in the Pacific Northwest. Basically I will be leading 14 year old girls in the backcountry for 6 weeks in Oregon and Washington. I could not be more excited! It's amazing what plans fall in place when you leave doors wide open. 

Other news, I'm working on becoming a volunteer firefighter for Boulder Rural Fire Department. I had to submit an application to become a volunteer firefighter and got accepted to continue on to the first round of testing. Next week I take a written test, a physical test, then if I pass both I will go on to interview with the chiefs. If I make it through that, there is another series of testing and then Fire Fighter 1 Academy starting in September. God really is good my dear friends. The way all of this has panned out, no one person could have planned. Guiding in the summer, come back and start FF1 Academy. It's perfect. Both of these experiences are going to help me in the long run with my goal of wanting to work for WMI/NOLS as an instructor. I'm continuously trying to give each day up so that I can allow things to follow into place. So far...it's working. 

I never thought Fire Fighting would be something I would be interested in until my WEMT course this past January. Luckily I had some pretty dang cool people around me to encourage me to look into it. Poor Mom having a kid in Border Patrol and another looking into Fire Service. Haha. 

Besides all of those things happening, I've been trying to play and write music quite a bit. Some friends and I are hoping to get some open mic nights going. I think we could be really good actually. Pretty sure my neighbors hate me for playing guitar and singing at the top of my lungs all the time, but oh well. 

I have so many things I want to do in life and I feel like this is just the beginning. I'm taking an Avalanche 1 certification course in 2 weeks, an Intro to Mountaineering course in 3 weeks, renewing my Lifeguard certification in a month, then off to summer guiding work, then Fire service (hopefully), etc. I'm looking at climbing Aconcagua in 2013, with hopefully some smaller mountain experience to come before that. In fact, I just opened a new savings account solely for adventure money. I'm so tired of saying I'm going to do something and then not. 2012 is the year that ends. There are so many good things going. I can't wait to see what else unfolds. 

Pictures of life lately: 

 

Howdy!

Howdy from windy Wyoming! Some of y'all are probably wondering how the WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medicine Technician) course is going, some of you are probably wondering why in world someone would want to do a WEMT course in Wyoming in January, and some of you probably want to know both. Well, have no fear! I'm here to update you...which I realize is long overdue (Mohney, this is mostly directed at you...haha). 

It's hard to believe that it's already been 2.5 weeks here in Sinks Canyon and we only have a week and a half to go before becoming EMT's (cross your fingers). The amount of information that is being pounded into our brains is nothing less than absurd and this is by far the most I have ever actually read for a class in my entire life. Not only am I reading the material over and over again, but I have made it to every single class on time, stayed awake in class the whole time, taken notes, done all my homework, performed skill drills successfully, and I have passed all my tests with flying colors so far. For those of you that knew me in college, I can see your jaw dropping in awe as you read this and you may be going into a bit of hypoperfusion. I officially just made myself sound smarter than I did about 3 weeks ago. 

We have an absolutely amazing group of students in the course. In total, there are 30 of us, plus 3 instructors (give or take). It's amazing how close you can get to people when you are away from most civilization and when you live within about a foot of each other for a month straight. I kind of equivalent that to spending one day with someone in this setting is like spending one week with them in real life. Our instructors keep saying that we're going to start getting on each others nerves and hating each other at this stage, but it seems like we keep getting closer, giving more hugs, and having more spontaneous dance parties. Not to mention that we officially know each others physical shape and any deformities we all have due to palpating each other far too many times. That may sound dirty to you, but it's a normal day for me to do a complete, firm, head to toe exam on multiple people. Yesterday, we had to learn how to do a patient assessment on someone when we were blindfolded. Amazing enough, I could tell who I was doing this too without seeing them and only knowing them by touch. Kinda creepy eh? Haha. 

To sum all this up in a relatively brief manner, here's what a schedule looks like for me on average:

6am - Wake up

6-6:35am - Shower/Get ready

6:35-7am - Walk to classroom and watch my hair freeze/check email/review info

7-7:20am - Gorge ourselves with Betty & Barry's (cooks) breakfast

7:20-8am - Study

8am-12pm - Class/Scenarios

12-12:20pm - Lunch

12:20-1pm - Study

1-5pm - Class/Scenarios

5-6pm - Study/Scream/Drink Caffeine

6pm-6:20pm - Dinner

6:30-10:30pm - Study/skill drills/drink more caffeine

10:30-10:31pm - Say goodbye to the moose on the wall. 

10:31-11pm - crawl in sleepingbag/take medical quizzes through the app on phone until you fall asleep

Now this is "average". Last night I was up till midnight. And Tuesday/Thursday we have night class and scenarios. So, when I say that we're exhausted, I mean it! But it's a good exhaustion. It's amazing how much I have learned in the past 3 weeks. It's already Thursday of week 3...which means tomorrow is Friday...which means hallelujah for the Lander Bar....which means it's the weekend....which means more studying and skill drills and discipline...which means my last ER rotation....which means I can have another beer to celebrate....which brings us to the last and final week of the course...which means basically testing only....which means I'm almost an EMT. Catch all that? The days are flying by. I feel like it was Monday about 4 hours ago and I've been in this weird coma for quite some time now. 

It's been a great 3 weeks and I've made fantastic friends who live all over the world, which means more places to stay when I travel! ;-) 

Enjoy the few pictures I put on here and feel free to email me and say hi, because I love some outside world contact. For now, I gotta run because we are about to start class on Emergency Childbirth...no big deal. Hah! Over and out! 

^Friday night at the bar to let loose

 ^after first hospital rotation

^Home sweet home

^I think this was an antelope heart or something?

^Gamow bag. Super cool.

^sunrise view from the classroom

^purty

^Source of staying alive

^we did get to go rock climbing one weekend. Hoping to get one more session in. It was amazing climbing!

"just a little. bit."

"just a little. bit."

writing. 

it's the act that loosens me.

climbing and dancing and shouting, those do it too

but in a different way than this does.

i see the white. blank. page. 

it's intimidating. 

but then i make one tap of a key and it's like my fingers took a hit of something strong.

i don't know what i'm going to talk about

until i get Right. here. 

want me to talk about flowers? I'll do it.

petals fall one by one

does he love me___does he not.

i could talk about balloons, human anatomy, the freckles on my nose

Obama...ya actually, probably not. 

i'm the most liberal conservative you've ever met.

believe me on this, i'm Here. i'm there. 

punctuation and Capitalization matter. trust me. Hear. 

if writing's a passion, why don't i do it more?

i should. i Will. lately it's been hard to start. 

if the page was Purple, would it be so tough? 

maybe not (Go Frogs), the edge wouldn't be so rough.

it's amazing what the white. blank. page.   can take out of you.

Mumford said it one time, his Sons said it more.

this jarbish and flip flop make sense in my head

if not for you: I challenge - pick up a pen.

write what you think. that thought. Your mind.

put down the spirals twisting inside.

then say Holla! that's right fool, i did what you said.

Next time challenge me, cuz i've got more in my head.

Life, God, and Lil' Wayne

Life, God, and Lil' Wayne

Today I was reminded of the joy in taking life day by day and the importance of having good people around you.  I was also reminded that Lyle (my car) can apparently go 16 miles (at least!) after the gaslight goes on.  

A friend and I cruised up the mountains to Breckenridge this morning to have a jolly day of boarding in paradise.  During our drive, we were discussing how tough it can be to want to plan our lives out to a T, how do we know when we've met "the one", how do we truly rely on God and our friends and family before trying to figure it all out ourselves? We answered these questions in between singing and contemplating the inappropriate lyrics of Lil' Wayne songs.  Life, God, and Lil' Wayne....or something like that.  Let's start with the first topic: Day by Day. 

I've said it before, but this has been my theme over the past 2 years. I've moved from Texas to San Diego and back to Texas. I've moved from Texas to Colorado. I changed majors 5 times in college and I've changed jobs 6 times in the past 3 years. I'm about to leave my job at Apple and move to Wyoming for a month, where I will be living in Sinks Canyon State Park and taking a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) course. After I return from my WEMT course, January 27th, I don't know where I'll be, I'll more thank likely be jobless, and I may be homeless. Now, that's the absolute worst scenario. However, I will be a certified EMT afterwards, so that's a big bonus. The point is that my life at this point has a lot of unknowns that I need to learn how to be okay with.  I've applied for the NOLS instructor course, but who knows if I'll get into that. If I do get into it, do I instruct full time and be gone a lot with no real home base? Or should I spend my time now officially getting my teaching certificate so I can teach  and then work for NOLS during the summer? If I don't get accepted, where do I go from there? Become an EMT full time? Pursue music? Find another outdoor company to work for? Get my masters? Become a snake charmer? Go back to Apple?  Travel the world? Work for a camp? Learn to knit? I mean, the options are endless! I truly feel like the world is at my finger tips. How do I plan for this? The only theory I can come up with is to take life by the horns day by day. See what doors open, and see what doors close, then make decisions from there. If anyone else has any other theories, please share. 

Topic 2: "The One" -- Everyone says you know when you've met "the one". I think I believe that. But all I'm going to say for now is that boys are confusing and us girls over think everything. That's right boys, we know we do it. In all honesty when it comes to this topic, I would love to be in a relationship. That would be marvelous as a matter of fact. I'm a very patient person, but I feel like I've waited long enough. Haha. It's strange to think about my future decisions if I do end up in a relationship any time soon. Not that I'm the type of girl that's going to give up everything for a boy, but I do think I would alter plans to help the relationship I'm in. I'm at this point where I could do anything, anywhere...so if a great man were to come into my life, who knows! The downside to working as a wilderness instructor full time is that the possibility of me being in a solid relationship goes way down. So maybe there's a way to work as an instructor part time, and still make a home base somewhere, eh? This whole topic relates to the "day by day" topic in subtle, but large, ways. Ya...that makes sense right? 

Topic 3: "Don't do life alone" -- This I have realized over and over again. One of the hardest parts about moving somewhere new is not having a friend base to rely on and feeling like you're cruising through life alone. As my friend and I were talking this morning, we both stated that we have a tendency to forget that God's there. Seems like such a simple thing to fix, but it's one of the hardest for me. The goal is to remember to turn to God for help, for reassurance, and maybe a smack in the face here and there. Going along with that is the importance of a solid friend group that you feel comfortable being vulnerable with. This may be a huge group of people, but for most I'd say it's just 2 or 3 people. Having those life conversations, keeping each other accountable, being a listening ear and an advice giver for one another is a huge thing. Life's hard alone, so it's worth the ten, sometimes painful minutes of opening yourself up to others so they can help clean, restore, and refresh you. 

Topic 4: "Lil' Wayne" -- I mean seriously, do people really think he's talented? I enjoy his music now and then...mostly because it gives me a good chuckle because of the ridiculous lyrics and I like to dance to it...but that's about it. 

Life's short, but full of hope, promise, dreams, and aspirations. One day will change the next and that day may turn your world upside down. But even doors will open upside down and unveil another possibility. 

I fit in?? weird...

Here's the scoop from Colorado...

I've been here a month now and it feels like a year...the amount that I have accomplished is insane. I really think I've slept outside about the amount I have inside since living here. I have been to Redfeather, Breckenridge, Telluride, Pikes National Forest, Vedauwoo-Wyoming, Eldora area, etc. Plus a little bit of climbing in Boulder Canyon. It really has been phenomenal.

Even though I'm living in Frederick, I hang out in Boulder most of the days and will be even more because I officially got a j.o.b.! Got a job at Apple and am really excited about it actually. It's not quite what I thought I'd be doing, but when does anything ever go as I planned? I think it's going to be a great experience, so I start training on Saturday! For a part time job, I think it's going to be just jim dandy. Plus, it'll allow me to spend more time in Boulder. The best part about Boulder is that I actually fit in...weird how that works. I'm not the only one wearing Chacos. I'm not the only one with too many bumper stickers on my car. I'm not the only one with roof racks on my car. In Texas, people used to ask me what the racks were for...here it's just a known fact. And it's actually pretty normal to walk around with climbing chalk marks on my pants. So ya, I'd say this works for me. Plus, Boulder always has awesome live music. Big bonus in my book. Probably the only reasons I wouldn't fit in is because I don't own a Subaru and I don't have weed in my glove compartment.

Don't get me wrong, I do miss things about Texas. I miss my friends, and the psycho squirrels at TCU. I miss the ridiculous memories on the nasty disease driven Trinity River. And I will sadly admit that I miss two-stepping! I'm not one to listen to country music, but I miss me some country dancin. I need to find a country bar here. Luckily the one bar I have made my "home" thus far reminds me a lot of Bull & Bush in fort worth...just bigger. It's kinda this old folky bar with darts, pool, and shuffleboard. Plus, they have hoolahoops sittin around for drunken pleasure. Always a plus.

So work starts on Saturday..trying to figure out what to do in the meantime. Any ideas??! I'm excited to start work, make some money...but i really hate the adjustment of not being able to do things when I want. That's kinda a hard transition for me (wonder why..haha). I just have to keep in mind that I need to make money to do my Volkswagen Van trip this summer! Eyes on the prize.

I've been sitting in Whole Foods for about 4 hours now, so I guess I'll go home. haha. Later gators!

So..I guess I live in Colorado now?

Hey there Friends!

I have had multiple requests to start blogging again...maybe because I move too much for people to keep up. I can see how it would be confusing. I still have people come up to me and ask I am still living in San Diego. Clearly not. 3 moves later I'm in Colorado!

Yesterday, the 24th, I hopped in my uHaul truck that was towing Lyle (my Jeep) behind it, and hit the road to Colorado at 9am. It was a bit of a rough morning because I may have gone to bed at 3am the night before...oopsy. But it sure was a fun night! Big thanks to mis amigos (you know who you are) for the great last night in Fort Worth. The drive was pretty good and I must say that I personally think I looked badass driving the massive uHaul and towing the trailer. There were a couple negatives to the drive though: 1. No CD player. (I'm kinda old school and still like those little discs of joy). 2. The AC kept cutting in and out. So I'd go through moments of sweating and then moments of cool air. I would assume it's what hot flashes probably feel like when your fifty. 3. I had to drive through Kansas. Seriously, I think the worst state I've ever driven through. There's just nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except a sign closer to the border that said, "See the worlds largest Prairie Dog!". As much as I was slightly intrigued...I kept driving past it. 4. The drive was 15 freakin hours. FIFTEEN! I made my stops quick. Really just stopped for gas and would grab food while I filled up, then hit the road again. Finally got to Denver at 11pm (12pm Texas time). As much as it was a long drive and I was pulling quite a load, it wasn't too bad. I got really bored, but luckily I had some friends calling me and keeping me company over the phone. I am currently hoarse from singing at the top of my lungs for so long. I also sang songs in funny voices to pass the time. And I learned how to drive with my left foot. I'm pretty good actually. Needless to say, I found ways to entertain myself.

You might ask yourself, ok Robin...so what the hell are you doing in Colorado?? Valid question my friend -- my answer: I don't know!! Well, I kinda do...but not really. haha. I moved in with my brother Chris, sister-in-law, and 1.5 year old niece. And am currently searching for a job in the outdoors. The fact of the matter is that Fort Worth had nothing to offer me in my career and I knew I needed to change locations to truly pursue what I want to do. So my plan as of right now: Live with brother, get part time job and save up some money, explore the glories of Colorado, camp as much as possible, then in January get my WEMT (wilderness EMT) and hopefully next spring or summer do my NOLS instructor course. That's the tentative plan. I don't want to say it's for sure because most my plans never go as planned.

So...I'm excited! I'm nervous. I'm scared. And I'm really sad to have left my best friends in Fort Worth. Had a little cry session today...not because I think I made a mistake or anything, but just because it's a big transition, there's a lot I need to do, and i really do miss my friends already. Although I feel lucky to be with family at this time in my life. We're going camping this weekend I think it's the perfect way to start off my time in Colorado.

Stay tuned! You never know what I'll have to share next....in all seriousness...I have no idea what it's going to be. haha.

Road Trip to NOLS!

Hey Folks! It's been forever since I have really blogged, so I one upped it and made a video blog! Today I drove from my brothers house in Denver to Lander, WY which is where the NOLS headquarters is. It ended up being about an 4.5 hour drive and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! Rolling hills, snow capped mountains, groups of deer, and green green green! Wyoming is a-ok in my book. Turned out that the Lander Brewfest was also going on this weekend (hooray!). So I cruised on down to that and had some quality beer by myself and people watched for about an hour. I really was wishing that my friends were with me, cuz they would have LOVED it! Anyways, here's the video i made of my trip. Enjoy!