Category Archives: Uncategorized

On my hike/climb yesterday I injured my ankle pretty badly. And yet, over the past couple weeks, for me the feeling has crystalized that I am, in general, really finding my footing here. I’ve decided I’m going to stay here. I’m going to do everything it takes to allow me to stay and grow andContinue reading “Finding my footing”

Early this morning, I did my first free solo ever! At least in climbing – in life, I guess I’ve been “free solo-ing” for a while now…   A few days ago, when I went for the first time to a school here where I’m collaborating part-time, I met one of the PhD students andContinue reading “Free solo”

It’s a fine line between solitude and loneliness. And for me that line is often determined by tiredness — physical as well as mental.  Tonight I’m tired. The physical effort of climbing outdoors in very cold weather on top of the mental/emotional effort of meeting and socializing with new people and finding my way inContinue reading “The fine line between solitude and loneliness”

The sun shone fiercely into my room this morning, pouring through the East-facing windows.  Or so it seemed to me, after two mornings of muffled whiteness from the snowfall of the past couple days.  I love listening to what my body needs, almost with the unselfconsciousness of some other animal, like the cat I’m lookingContinue reading “The body knows”

On my road trip driving over from California to Colorado six weeks ago, one of the CDs I listened to the most was an old album of Meredith Brooks, “Deconstruction”. One of my favorite songs from this album is “Sin City” and I still listen to it very often, sometimes on repeat. I really likeContinue reading ““Flower of peace””

I just got home from my post-lunch walk in the fields near my host family’s house.  The weather has gotten cold again, dropping almost 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) overnight. The sky is heavy with grey-white clouds and the Rockies, which are usually visible from here, are hidden behind the snow already rolling in.  The fields wereContinue reading “Healing and peace “in between””

For the past few weeks I’ve been struggling with a sense of being in a limbo. The expression “holding the uncertainty” has come to my mind so often… Uncertainty, feeling “in-between”, neither really here nor there: uncertain of what I want to do professionally, of what I even want to do as of next summerContinue reading “Holding the (un)certainty”

Last night I went to bed feeling miserable: profoundly sad and lonely. Granted, it’s partly due to the hormonal issue that sent me to the hospital last week and is hopefully temporary. But it is a fact that it took less of a month from my departure for my friends in California to forget me.Continue reading “How small things can make a big difference”

Today, it’s exactly one month that I’ve been here in my temporary home in Colorado!  In this first month here I’ve already:  – written two chapters of my textbook;  – sent in one of those chapters to my editors for review;  – been to my local climbing gym;  – met a few climbing buddies forContinue reading “Balance of my first month here”