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Thursday, June 30, 2011

I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - Henry David Thoreau

I've decided that it's time to focus on myself. I've been in and out of relationships for so long (since highschool!) that I really just need some time to be ME. To not worry about anything but learning more about myself and what I stand for. I feel like I have a pretty solid idea, but there are definitely some things missing. For a month and a half, I am going to be on my own. 2 weeks in Moab, 2 weeks in San Francisco/Tahoe, 1 week in Yosemite National Park, and then to the first annual Gibbon Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is going to be an experiment in self discovery that I am thrilled to begin. I can't wait to find peace and solidarity; not depending on anyone or anything for happiness, but only myself. I am so grateful to have had such a great boyfriend that is allowing me the time to do this. Mike is a truly kind, understanding, and wise person that sometimes I'm not even sure he's real! He is more supportive of my decision to take this time than anyone could possibly be. He's been there, at this point: where I know I NEED this. Some things I plan to do on my trip are:

- Rig and walk Mt. Tam Highline (115 feet) in Marin, California. A line that has defeated me about 5 times previously.

- Wakeboard and Waterski at Hayley's family's house in Tahoe, CA (for the first time since Camp in Maine 4 years ago! I used to be a waterski instructor there, but once I left.....I never got the chance to do it!)

- See old friends and family in San Francisco (Andrew, Damian, Gail, Nick, Julia, and my Aunt Lane and Uncle Tom along with my Grandmother who has just moved into a home there).

- Wander the city of San Francisco, ALONE.

- Rig Taft Point Highline in Yosemite -115 ft. along with the Rostrum lines -20 ft. and 70 ft. and possibly the Yosemite Falls Line - 128 ft. (we'll see).

- Place in the top 3 at the Gibbon Games.....I better start training.

There are many more things that I want to do, but these are on top! Here are some recent pictures of my life:

"Twin Arches" in the Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park

A Keyhole I found

Me on our Canyoneering trip through the Fiery Furnace

Bess Rappeling

Canyon whipping on Lead, Ryan's Route on Potash Road (5.12 - 5.13)
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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Life goals

It's been a while since I've taken the time to write about my life. I've been busy focusing on improving myself and the way that I look at life. I'm sure I'm not the only one that often finds myself coasting along, each day being just another day rather than the most beautiful gift we've been given. It's hard to look at life like that all the time, but I want to try. I want to be filled with joy and gratitude for being alive rather than forgetting  how lucky I am to have the opportunity. When live becomes mundane and repetitive I lose my passion, and so I've been trying to include a lot of different things into my day. Such as : good food, taking photograph's, listening to my favorite music, spending time with my dog, laughing, actually getting to know someone, and driving around town with the windows down and music blasting.....right now mostly Florence and the Machine and Grace Potter ;-) I know these things help me see the beauty in the world.....I just need to remember to do them!

I have some goals as well that I really want to accomplish by the end of the summer. I want to beat my highline and longline personal records. I want to walk AT LEAST a150 foot highline (for me, this is really difficult.....I just need to relax while I'm out there, the longer the line is the longer you have to maintain focus.....and so far I've gotten out to the middle of the 150 and lost my focus and fell). For longline, I want to walk AT LEAST a 500 footer. Right now I've walked 413, and I know I can keep pushing.

Some other goals are: to make it into the top 3 at the first annual Gibbon Games at Outdoor Retailer. I know that I can do this....I just need to start training ;-) Also, I am saving up for a van that I can start traveling in. It's time. I am so ready to get out there and start living day to day in completely new places with new people and new experiences. I've been dreaming of this for a long time, so now it's just a matter of saving up the money.

Anyway! Thanks for reading. I've included a few pics I've taken recently (and a couple taken of me) that I LOVE.  I'll write again soon and hopefully by then I'll have reached some of my goals :)

Me working on the 150 footer (i fell in the middle and then tried to get back up and walk back)

Ryan Matson working on a 5.13 in Mill Creek. This is after his recent ankle injury ( he's killin it!)

Some flowers that I love.

Mike sending the 150 like a champ ;-)

Me again on one of my attempts.

Bouldering at Big Bend :)
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Friday, June 10, 2011

Why do we slackline?

I recently took the time to take a poll on facebook....Why do we slackline? I know why I slackline, but honestly I think that hearing it from upwards of 20 different people explains it a lot better than I  ever could. Here are some of the responses that I got! Enjoy them. and feel free to add your own reason in the comments section!



      • Sam Salwei A wonderful tool that cuts away all the crap allowing you to see your true essence....instantly!
        Yesterday at 10:42am ·  ·  1 person
      • Brenden Gebhart I feel how life should be when I'm on the line.
        Yesterday at 10:43am · 
      • Gabriel Aglio I don't know, I just love!
        Yesterday at 10:46am ·  ·  1 person
      • Tony Sukiennik Slacklining has allowed me to continue to stretch my limits even though my aging joints continue to try to limit me... But more important than physical balance, being able to mentally balance wanting to accomplish a goal without wanting it so much that you can't function at your peak is why I am enthusiastic to be a Slackliner...
        Yesterday at 11:17am · 
      • Julia Gebhardt it´s kind of space.
        Yesterday at 11:17am · 
      • Stevie Greenwald Slackling is everything. It instills a sense of wonder yet anyone can learn it. It can be as simple as some webbing and some trees or as complex as a doubly redundant highline deep in the mountains. It is as relaxed as yoga or as intense as skating a half pipe. It's the one think anyone would need while stranded on a desert island.
        Yesterday at 11:19am · 
      • Emily Sukiennik i am loving these!!! keep 'em comin :)
        Yesterday at 11:23am · 
      • Megan Drewyor Calms the mind and scults the body
        Yesterday at 11:40am · 
      • Philipp Freudigmann Since I started slacklining my family has just grown so much! Luv it!
        Yesterday at 12:19pm ·  ·  1 person
      • Cody Peterson When ur on the line its feels like everything that's wrong in ur life doesn't matter anymore!
        Yesterday at 12:32pm · 
      • Paris Slack turn out ur brain for few intens minutes!!!
        Yesterday at 12:40pm · 
      • Thomas Sloss Balance.
        22 hours ago · 
      • Jordan Tybon money and bitches.
        22 hours ago · 
      • Dylan Buffington I'm with Jordan! and . . . everyone else!
        22 hours ago · 
      • James Gallerani Jr Because everyone's just walking around on their damn cellphones now. It's nice to relax, get on the line, and socialize. Often it stops passers by in their tracks.
        20 hours ago · 
      • Thibaut Zwolinski just feel the balance of life i think... all is about balance. Slackline show it.
        20 hours ago · 
      • Jono Armstrong Babes, chicks, ladies, and hoes.
        20 hours ago ·  ·  1 person
      • Brent Cain because it added BALANCE and ZEN LIKE FOCUS to my life like nothing i have ever seen or experienced!
        16 hours ago · 
      • Emily Hodge 
        that's a good question. I ask myself that sometimes. why the heck do I love slacklining?? I think because it constantly challenges me, forces me to set goals, cures my boredom, makes me overcome my fears, makes me focus on breathing. It can...See More
        16 hours ago ·  ·  1 person
      • Jeremy Louis Because you can be active and lazy at the same time!
        14 hours ago ·  ·  2 people
      • Andrew Tysinger Because it can be as relaxing or intense as you want, depending on how you feel. It also trains a physical attribute we use every day.
        14 hours ago · 
      • Ross John Miller to keep from being a square.
        12 hours ago · 
      • Emily Sukiennik i love all these responses guys, thanks so much!
        a few seconds ago · 
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