The Great Sand Dunes National Park-- Chapter 27

The mountains, smothered with fresh powder, 

reached and stretched 

towards the heavens above. 

Captivated by the landscape, I stood, mouth agape, in awe of it all. 

The Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, is a park like no other. It brims with ethereal magic and offers diverse scenery in every direction you look: From the curvaceous sand-dunes illuminated by snow to the serene sky splashed with shades of blue. This National Park is every adventurer’s dream come true. 

I was so elated to romp, roam, and run freely around this park with some of my favorite humans, Christina and Ian. As an early kick-start to my 27th birthday, they took me on an adventure that I will never forget. 

We hiked and scrambled up the sand dunes in severely chilled weather and when we reached one of the highest points we sat down and basked in the glorious sun. In companionable silence, we relished, with great admiration, at the view before us while indulging in honey-smoked tuna and wheat-thin crackers. 

Afterwards, we utilized Christina’s rescue blanket and created a make-shift sled in which we used to slide down the sand-dunes, freely screaming with sweet bliss. 

As our adventure came close to an end, I sat in the snow and looked up at the sky above and celebrated the goodness of God. I softy whispered to myself: This is what my 20’s are all about: making amazing memories with the people I love, seeing parts of the world untouched by man, and seizing divine moments, because every occasion is priceless, unique, and unrepeatable. So, here’s to the end of 26 and the beginning of chapter 27. 

2019: Rising Into The New Year

Just like the sun, the new year is emerging slowly, rising with the promise of a fresh start, a clean slate, a glorious new beginning. Looking back through old photos, I came to the realization that this has been a glorious year, indeed.

From restlessly roaming through Washington and California,

To moving to Alaska,

To embarking on a 10 day camper-van road trip through Canada,

To climbing 14ers in Colorado,

To linking up with some of the dopest West Coast creatives in Oregon,

To finding a temporary home in Arizona….

This year alone, has truly been one H-E-L-L of an adventure !

Photo Cred: Teo Sia

From my experiences thus far, I will share with you what I’ve learned. I hope that you will dip into my words from time to time whenever you are lacking in inspiration and may my insight serve as an encouraging guide as you rise into the new year.

So, here are 3 pivotal points of wisdom to carry you through 2019.

1. DON’T WAIT - Maybe for some time now, you’ve been waiting for an answer, a sign, some form of permission. Well, here it is: Do it and Don’t wait. Do whatever it is that ignites the flame in your soul and fulfills that burning desire of happiness—whether it’s traveling, purchasing a new home, getting married, quitting your job to enter the realm of entrepreneurship, or even just starting to date, again— whatever it may be, just start. P-L-E-A-S-E, don’t wait until it’s too late when you’re weakened by the cruelty of time.

2. GO OUTSIDE- The old adage, “nature heals all,” still holds to be true. At times, the world can become too much, too fast— the streets full of fleeting cars, the pavement of rushing workers, the internet producing mass waves of content waiting for you to absorb. Sometimes, you have to take a break from the noise of the world and be willing to lose yourself, naturally. Lie down in the grass and feel the warm embrace of the Earth. Let your hair down and twirl with the wind. At night, look up at the sky freckled with stars and indulge in a quiet contemplation about life. Meditate and reach deep. After going outside, you, too, will realize the pure magic of nature.

1. CLAIM YOUR HAPPINESS- For a majority of my life, I served as a passive spectator in MY life. I allowed the happiness of others to infringe upon my own. As the new year approaches, I hope that you will claim your happiness and then manifest it. I hope that you will become an active actor—rather than a passive spectator— in the stories unfolding around you. Create your own magic. Take a chance. Risk it all. Do whatever it takes to reach your own silver-lining and however you choose to do it, do it B-O-L-D-L-Y!

Cheers, to a new year— A beautiful and ripe beginning.

Going Beyond Tokenism: 3 Tips To Diversify Your Outdoor Brand

Everything is fake-deep nowadays.

For years, the lack of diversity in the outdoors has been put on full display—TV, magazines, social-media, you name it— where it is still heavily dominated by white people. Every time I lurk on some outdoor brands social media platform, I can’t help but laugh when I read their bio because it usually says those two words that make me cringe: inclusive community. Then, I proceed to look at their work and once again it is nothing but a sea of white people complimented by a drowning tokenized minority. You know…….. tokenism. 

So, what exactly is it? 

To really break it down for you:

Tokenism, is nothing but lip service to diversity. It is when brands say that they are inclusive, yet they merely give the illusion by displaying a small number of underrepresented groups. 

Still don’t get it? 

Let me give you an example: Next time you’re scrolling through one of your favorite outdoor social media platforms (with the exception of REI, because I freaken love them) take a look at their feed, is it as diverse and inclusive as they announce it to be? 

Right now you’re probably thinking: Yeah, they have a black person, and an asian person too, Oh, no, they actually have two black people ! See ! See! Their inclusive ! 

Wrong. 

That my friend, is tokenism. 

When a brand chooses to only display a small number of minorities it achieves its goal of simply casting an illusion. It tokenizes minorities and/or underrepresented groups by showcasing:

that one token black person or 

that one token asian person or 

that one token hispanic person.

Get the picture?  

When that one token minority appears, they usually carry, “the burden of representation,” which means that they are simply serving as a symbol to represent an E-N-T-I-R-E community. 

Now, don’t get me wrong when it comes to tokenism intent is the driving factor and not ALL brands tokenize minorities. There are some outdoor brands out there that really want to be diverse, inclusive, and representative of all races, genders, sexual-orientations, etc., but they just don’t know how. So, here are three tips that I devised that will effectively diversify your outdoor brand. 

TIP #1: Don’t Be Afraid To Reach Out
If there is one thing I’ve learned about society, it is the inherent fear that so many people have when it comes to speaking to someone who is different from them. So many people have lost the value of having a conversation of going beyond a simple hello. Reaching out to someone who is different from you does not have to be hard. For instance, I’ve had three people within the last month DM me on instagram asking me how they can diversify their brand and If I was willing to collaborate with them. Those three people were complete strangers, yet their intent was pure and they had a deep desire to work with and showcase underrepresented groups. By simply reaching out to me we were able to forge new friendships, understand each other at more than just face-value, and we both benefited by gaining access to each others various networks. 

TIP #2: Chime In On The Conversation By Disconnecting To Connect

Yes, I understand social media is H-U-G-E, but don’t substitute face to face interaction for the virtual world. If you truly want to work on diversifying your brand while still honoring inclusivity and representation than you have to be willing to educate yourself about underrepresented groups. Attend events or seminars in your area that hold open discussions about matters that speak to you, and learn to build relationships with people who are different from you. By doing this, you are literally opening yourself up to the world and forming connections. In return, you learn a transferrable skill: the ability to talk and connect with people who are different from you, and you can now apply that to your brand when targeting your new audience. 

Tip #3: Representation Matters, But So Does Intention

Your brand is a depiction of yourself…..when people view your brand you are revealing your true intentions. If your brand solely focuses on catering to white people then just go ahead and own up to it and state that in your mission/vision statement, but if you are truly genuine when it comes to diversifying your brand then you have to be willing to change your intentions. To truly diversity your brand YOU have to be committed to inclusivity. It is SO much more than just posting a few underrepresented groups on your website. Truly start immersing yourself in different cultural experiences and start treating people as individuals rather than a potential token.  

I hope my three tips will help in some way, shape, or form.

So, with all that said, I will leave you with this: Diversify your life and your brand will augment that. 

I Quit My 9-5 & Booked A One-Way Ticket To Alaska

My soul was beaten. 

Bruised. 

Ravaged. 

8 months ago, I was siting in my cubicle sulking away while working my soul-sucking 9-5. In the midst of finishing up a project, I stopped and pondered, what the heck am I doing here? This isn’t me. Why am I subjecting myself to this life? This isn’t what I want. 

I was swimming, stroking, trying to steadily surface amidst the fog in my mind to find some form of clarity. 

I wanted out. 

I wanted out of my crappy cubicle job. I wanted out of living with my parents. I wanted out of my dull and one-tracked minded hometown. 

I. Just. Wanted. O-U-T!

But…….. I didn’t know how. I only had a little over $300 to my name and my savings account was non existent. I didn’t have anywhere to go……..I didn’t have anywhere to turn. All I knew was that I wanted to travel. I wanted to see the world. I wanted a life of adventure. 

So, feeling defeated I went home. I plopped on my bed and began scrolling through my phone trying to find anything that was worth my while all while silently praying for something more. 

While scrolling through jobs on my phone, I saw in BIG BOLD letters: 

WORK A SUMMER IN ALASKA. 

I literally laughed out loud and thought, Why the heck would I go to Alaska?  

Do black people even live there? 

It’s probably cold and dark all the time. 

Nah, I’m good, Alaska is not for me. 

I scrolled over the Alaskan job advertisement and began searching for something else, but I couldn’t seem to shake off the thought of moving to Alaska from my head. 

For three days, I tried to shimmy and shake Alaska from my mind, but I couldn’t. The decision to just go for it and apply was like an anchor weighing heavy on my heart. So, I decided to do some further research to check to see if the job was even “legit.”  When I clicked on the Alaskan job advertisement I was re-directed to a website called Coolworks.com

To my amazement, there, right in front of me, were the words I had been longing to see. In all of its bold glory I read Cool Works catchy slogan: Jobs In Great Places Where Do You Want To Be Tomorrow? 

My heart began beating like a thousand drums and my eyes burst open with a shimmering light as I proceeded to navigate my way through the Cool Works website which displayed seasonal jobs from all over the world. 

I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled through pages of information and testimony from people of all walks of life and how, they too, were tired of their soul-sucking 9-5’s and how working seasonal life gave them fulfillment and a life of adventure. 

From showcasing vacant positions spending a summer in National Parks to working a winter at top notch ski resorts, CoolWorks, did not fail to deliver a slew of epic jobs that catered to every season. 

So, I decided to go for it. I submitted an application to a vacant opening in Alaska. Within three days, I was not only interviewed, but also offered a position as a supervisor working for a whale watching tour company.  With little hesitation, I quickly accepted and I was told that I had two weeks to report to work. 

I had two weeks to quit my 9-5. 

I had two-weeks to explain to my family that I was moving across the world. 

I had two weeks to book a one way ticket. 

During those two weeks, I felt every emotion all at once: fear, joy, anxiety, and excitement, but I knew I wanted a change in my lifestyle and Coolworks opened up that avenue for me.

Booking a one-way ticket and moving to Alaska brought so much joy back into my life. It centered me. It healed me. It rescued me. 

So, I’ll leave you with this.

There are some things that you do for Y-O-U. For your satisfaction. For your fulfillment. For your joy. For your mental, emotional, and spiritual health and that is okay. Many people will doubt you and you may even doubt yourself, but do it anyway. Taste something new. Give your life a second chance at experiencing fulfillment. It WILL be scary and it will require a tremendous amount of mental fortitude to step on the other side of fear, but it is necessary for change. It is necessary for growth.

So………what are you waiting for!? 

BOOK THE ONE-WAY TICKET ! 

It is time…….to set yourself free! 

Cheers, 

D 

Why I No Longer Care About Being Successful: Words From A Black Broke Blackpacker

At the age of 18, I successfully graduated from high school and accepted a full athletic Track & Field scholarship to Radford University.  

At 19, as a freshman, I successfully placed as one of the top three finishers in my event at our women’s track and field conference. 

At 21, I graduated a year early with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. 

At 25, I graduated Cum Laude with a Master’s of Law in Human Rights and I accepted full-time employment with the City of Virginia Beach working for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Victim Witness Program. 

Sounds fancy, huh? 

But the reality is that despite how fancy my success may have looked it had brought me nothing but misery. 

Yes, you read that right…..

success has brought me nothing but

M-I-S-E-R-Y.

Because of success I was constantly ensnared in a state of depression. 

Why? Because being successful always required some form of expectation from me. Some level of performance.

Success always required me to do more…. and more….and more.

In the  darkest of nights as I lie awake, success would clutch at my bed sheets, lean into my ear, and subtly whisper,  You’re not doing enough. Those whispering words would formulate negative thoughts in my head and with a resounding thud fall right onto my heart. 

Success has always prevented me from being more “me.” 

For 25 years, I was constantly A-L-W-A-Y-S on the go. Always striving for success. Always striving to be seen. Always striving for applause, a pat on the back, some form of validation and or confirmation from others that I was on the right track. Success ravaged my soul and gnawed on the bones of my very being; it shattered my hopes and dulled the light of my shimmering dreams. 

We live in this world, where being successful is constantly engrained in our core. Success makes up a huge percentage of: how we define ourselves; our worth; how others perceives us; and how society will treat us. So many of us continue to do mundane work and live a life that is menial and routine all because “success” brought us there. 

Go back to the very beginning of my writing, look above, notice how I left blank spaces after I very descriptively noted every accomplishment and every huge “successful” moment in my life. Now, I will fill in the blanks with how “success” brought me misery. 

At the age of 18, I successfully graduated from high school and accepted a full athletic Track & Field scholarship to Radford University.  

At the age of 18, I became an alcoholic. I was constantly under immense pressure because I was expected to perform well in college. I trained and trained and trained through blood, sweat, and tears. 

At 19, as a freshman, I successfully placed as one of the top three finishers in my event at our women’s track and field conference. 

At 19, I became depressed and although I wasn’t paying for college via money I was paying for it through my mental, physical, and emotional health. My Second year, I quit and transferred to another college where I could be a “normal” student. 

At 21, I graduated a year early with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. 

At 21, after college, I couldn’t find work for two years. I worked part-time in a crappy law office. I sat in a cubicle and filed papers and lived a very unfulfilling life for a while. 

At 25, I graduated Cum Laude with a Master’s of Law and I accepted full-time employment with the City of Virginia Beach working for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Victim Witness Program.
At 25, I experienced first-hand what it was like to work in a hostile work environment and l-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y hate life. 

So, with all of that said, I stand firm when I proclaim that I no longer care about being successful.  Success has done nothing, but left a dull thud in my spirit. You know, the kind of thud from being let down. Like, success, isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Sure it looks glamorous on the outside, but all that glitters isn’t always gold and so often those who constantly broadcast their “success” would never reveal the in-between. 

I have now replaced success with perfecting my craft. I travel and get paid to do photography assignments. The money isn’t enough for me to take on full-time, but it is a start at doing something that lights the flame and ignites my soul. My craft is something that fulfills me in more ways than being “successful” ever has. 

Cheers, 

D