Mocanaqua in PA

So one of the things in life that, against my better judgement, I sometimes think as a necessity for me to feel content is rock climbing. There is something about it that just makes me feel at peace and is such a deep part of me, ingrained in so many of my thoughts and the way I live my life. I have been so frustrated I feel like punching the rock, so happy I feel like hugging it, more sore from laughing with my climbing buddies rather than climbing, and so many times that I have felt "in my element" or at a  very peaceful place internally. Sitting at a crag with God's beautiful creation around me, my dog next to me, the challenge of climbing routes or problems, with awesome like-minded people around me. The only other time where I have felt close to this "content" has been on some of my trips as a Sherpa leading for La Vida. But even in that life as a Sherpa I have yearned for the time where its just me and the rock. I had dreams about climbing, thought about it a lot, and even had co-workers tell me "KB, I think you just need to go climbing on our next day off"(keep in mind we only had one day off every 2 weeks - so how you use that 24 hours is a big decision:))

So for my birthday weekend, I had two friends from Columbus Ohio drive all the way to Berwick PA to climb with me at this local place near town called Mocanaqua. Its about 20 minutes from my house and there is some bouldering, sport, trad, and mixed climbs for me to play on. I have been back 2 times since then with some locals that I've met at the MRG climbing gym. It not the Red River Gorge but its still a place 20 minutes away where I can be on rock. So I wanted to share with you guys some of the photos from the weekend checking out the boulder field, paradise wall, and the library.

photo cred goes to my friend Jennifer Morgan

thank you my friends for a wonderful birthday weekend - I loved your company and all the laughter you filled my house with and my vegan cake you made for me:)

The Curse of being Creative.

Being a creative person comes with many perks. Your personal opinion somehow carries much more weight than it should at times. People take more seriously when you say your a designer or an artist, it really boggles my mind still when people ask my opinion solely on the fact that "I'm a designer and went to art school" On one of my trips this summer, one of my group leaders that I led into the wilderness for 12 days was a freelance Industrial designer - we got along great and had a lot of talks while hiking. As she was trying to encourage me about my internship that was to follow after the summer of leading trips, we talked about what qualities make a good designer. After these discussions during the summer, working for Equinox as an intern since Sept, and talking a lot with my awesome co-worker I've changed my views on what you really need to thrive as a creative person.

Initiative

and 

Curiosity 

The only problem with truly possessing these qualities is that there is never enough time in the day to quench these pesky personality traits. I have started to  try to come to terms with the fact that a lot of my To Do Lists scattered around the house will never fully be crossed out and completed because by the time I get around to them I will have had about 100 other ways thought up of how to use my time. But what about that satisfaction of crossing things off lists??? Its so disappointing to get so excited about an idea or a project and then never get around to it, its like getting your hopes up for nothing. But what kind of life would it be to not be inspired by awesome and interesting things and to not try to design some awesome things of your own?

So instead of working on all my sewing projects that I have been wanting to get to and intended to get to tonight, I ended up spending my time after work cooking. Life is what it is, you follow the wind when it blows.

spaghetti squash-  my latest obsession:)

stir-frying lots of tastey delicious vegetables with garlic salt and a spice called za'atar

put it all together with some chocolate almond milk and some tea out of
my favorite mugs and waa-la a delicious dinner

I havent been reading through this book that was left on the dinning room table by one of my family members, but I thought the headline was fitting for my mood today and my attitude going into this weekend. I hope that you are enjoying everyday of your life and not using it as a countdown to specific vacation or days off or. Are you enjoying every day?

Content

I was talking with a friend a couple weeks ago about how silly it is when someone asks the question "what makes you happy".  The word "Happy" just seems like a temporary word or a feeling that is fleeting and not  something that sticks around, but rather a word that describes the "high" rather than the norm. Through the discussion with my friend we came to the decision that the better word to use is what makes you "content".

This is the question that I have been mulling over for the past couple weeks. Its not usual for me to stay on one topic for so long but I really have enjoyed thinking through what makes me feel really truly content in life. Trying to weed through the things that I think are a necessity and really boil it down to the bare minimum.

 Looking through things that I think are a necessity to a "happy" and quality life have made me realize that I've been wrong about a lot of it. Sitting here on the couch after a day of work and afternoon at the climbing gym, with good food in my belly, a warm blanket wrapped around my legs, my dog Molly's head laying in my lap and warm cup of sleepytime tea next to me makes me feel pretty darn happy - but what of those things do I need to make me feel content with my life? Do I need to climb? Work a good job? Live with good people? Have internet at my house? There are so many things that I am guilty of making a necessity in life to be content when in reality there isn't too much that you should need to have to be content in life.

One thing that makes me feel  content is being surrounded by my loving family. This past week they all traveled to Berwick PA to have Thanksgiving in my Grandparents house that I am staying in like we used to do many years ago. It was so great to have the house that feels so empty and quiet all the time since I moved here in sept to be so full and loud and chaotic. The house seemed almost like and entirely different house altogether with all the craziness going on.

thanksgiving meal - all the girls:)

going for the traditional walk around the property and to the near by lake

packed with  so many family members and a total of 5 dogs even!!!

will put up more photos when i get them, just pulled some of the ones that have been put up on fb already

I loved every minute of it and tried to soak up all the family time I could while I had the chance, but it was definitely a tiring weekend and I am looking forward to this weekend when I'll have the chance to clean and get things back into order around the house and also catch up on some rest and chilliaxing time at the beautiful property I am blessed to be living at in Berwick PA.

I have taken a more permanent position at Equinox which I am very excited about. Equinox is a great company with a lot of potential and I am very excited to work for them, learn from them, and help them out with what I have to bring to the table. But for some reason taking the head design position makes me feel like I just shut the door on adventure and exploration and locked the key caging myself in central PA. I have been continuing to tell myself these past couple weeks what I have told myself before - that adventure is anywhere you make it, you don't need to be on the beaches of the west coast or in the mountains of the Adirondacks, or in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky. But when I read about or interact with traveling vagabonds, " restless transplants", climber bums, surf bums, or just adventure loving people it stokes that ever burning flame inside of me to pack the essentials in quiashia and just go. Nothing is permanent or forever and I know that my adventure wont stop at being a Sherpa for La Vida, or a Climber bum in the Red River Gorge, or a designer for Equinox, there is much more out there in this great big world and I will explore it but all in due time. So for now my adventure is designing at Equinox LTD in central Pennsylvania.

visit A Restless Transplant and see if you get as inspired as I did reading through it

Even though it is cliche to say - i think that it is true for my life

2 things I know i will do at some point in my life:  surf and bum on the west coast

My very own

Today I got my very own industrial sewing machine in the Design Area!!!! Now I don't have to dance around the head designer/prototyper and figure out other things to do when she needs the machine! So exciting!!!

Such a beautiful sight:)



The Design Area: A total mess this week, its not usually this messy
but sometimes it gets a little crazy in here:)



One of my projects: Trail Gaiter makeover.
Looks like the pair will weigh a little over 4 ounces!

 


Water-proof fabric for the bottom, breathable lightweight fabric for the top,
 Elastic pull to cinch the top of the gaiter to stay in place, Velcro closure system
with secondary Velcro placement to ensure your gaiter to stays closed



Pennsylvania: The state of independence

On my drive back from Boston two weeks ago I chuckled when I drove across the state line of PA. The sign  on the side of the road welcomed me and stated Pennsylvania as the "State of Independence" I thought that was quite fitting for me and my situation in PA. Living alone with my dog in a big house, working as a designer and prototyper for a backpacking company, and being very far away from the "college scene" that I was so immersed in last year. 

I wanted to show you guys photos of my new home, and I know I promised photos a while ago, so, without further adieu: 

The Berwick House

the long drive heading down to the house that reminds me everyday that I am on it of all the times my family came to visit my grandparents for the weekend and all the wonderful memories we have in this place

the driveway and front of the house

a part of the back yard

the back of the house

 As my studio, I took over the garage in the basement, this way on nice sunny days I can open up the door and sew in the sunshine. When I first moved in, I was able to sew while sunbathing in my bikini and I couldn't think of a better place to be learning how to sew. Molly has groundhogs and squirrels to chase after and spends times watching the birds, just as I do from my sewing chair n cutting table. Molly enjoys being able to be in the sunshine and fresh air just as much as I do while I'm working on creating fun stuff:)

I think I can handle this view:)

since i don't have internet, this book, loaned to me by my coworker
has been my sewing bible for the past month. I highly recommend it.

Supplies left by my grandmother

more supplies, I will probably never be able to use it all 

what my drive home from work mostly consists of

an after work routine that molly and I have gotten into: Fetch

she has gotten quite good at it

Molly the guard dog:)

Well I hope you have enjoyed getting a sneak peek at where I'm living. You can always come visit what I like to joke and call "The KB resort":)

Red River Gorge Torrent

This past weekend was spent at my old stomping grounds: The Red River Gorge. I spent as many weekends as I could the second half of college down in KY climbing. This past weekend my old climbing buddies got a cabin at Torrent. This crag has been closed to the public for some years now due to climbers not being respectful of the private owners rules and wishes, now the crag is only open to those who pay to stay in the cabins. I went last year with this group of climbers from Columbus and loved it! Waking up and looking out your window and having the rock 20 feet from your window- SO great!!

we got the climber's cabin:)

the view from my bed- looking at the warm up climbs for the day

the door to the "climbers cabin"

the gear stash outside

one of my favorite climbs in the red. Name: "pocket pussy" - the guys loved this one and never ran out of jokes for it

warm up for the day

Within the first 15 feet Kentucky rock showed me how angry it was that I had left it for 6 months without a note, phone call, or even a visit. I, somehow, in my attempt to get back in the zone, stupidly grabbed for a draw and got the end of my pinky caught inbetween the bolt and the caribiner on the draw. I blame it on not climbing for so long and feeling a little freaked out for some reason, but I re-learned the lesson to keep your hands away from metal even if your taking a break on your warm up while top roping.

nightly festivities in the cabin

the two boys that came along, sported their Halloween costumes to show us all, we had a ripped spiderman and  a ninja climbing around the cabin all night:)

my friend and i that didn't have too much time to plan, went to Rock House cafe that just opened for breakfast both days. It was delicious. A little more upscale than other places geared towards climbers but still really nice. Along with Miguels pizza shop, you should try this place as well.

"group photo" minus 5 people including the two little boys that came for the weekend

Overall great weekend. I am just as sore from laughing as I am from climbing. I realized just how blessed I am to have such a loving and supportive community of climbers in Columbus. I hope to be able to cilmb with them for many years to come.