Test Running City Van Life

So I've decided to ease into van life very gradually, which is hard for me. If you know anything about me I am a very impulsive person. It would be more likely for me to sell all of my belongings and move into a van over the course of 24hrs instead of 3 or 4 months. None the less I've been sleeping in my van for the past 4 nights. And have learned several things just about sleeping which means I have worlds to learn about full time living. Here are my current discoveries.

• Sweatshirt hoodie. The hood acts as a cover for light and keeps your head warm. I was skeptical at first. I never ever wear hoodies but for sleeping in a van it is a necessity. 
• Sleeping bags. Lots of sleeping bags. Don't unzip them you want the warmth of the sleeping bag the entire way around your body. Being a little bit cold all night is probably the worst thing ever. Don't skimp on the warmth.
• Parking. Don't park the van against a tree where the branches will sway in the wind and scrape the side of the van all night. It will get annoying.
• Parking 2. Try to park the van on the flattest place ever. Sleeping in a slightly tilted bed made me feel like I needed to be seat belted into something. 
• Dog. If he weighs a lot and decides to be restless it will feel like you are on a boat out at sea. The weight of the dog shifting around seems to shift everything in the van and when you're trying to sleep it feels very dramatic. Almost like you're getting towed...
• Dog 2. Get that dog a bark collar... Last thing you want is some people stumbling by your van in the middle of the night and then have your dog bark at them. Hello super obvious someone is sleeping in that van or they are cruel and locked there dog in there alone. Whatever those people may think its not good. In the city in either case they'll probably call the cops. If your dog barks at people in the middle of the night pull yourself from your warm bed get into the driver seat and drive away. The only solution... other than getting that dog a bark collar.

It has only been 4 days I can't imagine all I have left to learn. Stay tuned. And yes in this photo the van is titled... example of how not to park your van.

Quarter Life Crisis == Life Crisis == Word Vomit

I'm writing this because I like writing. I write just to write hoping you like reading just to read.

Last time I was in the meadow I chatted with Cedar about my quarter life crisis. Which he told me would never stop and that it was actually a life crisis. I'd have to agree with him. So let me tell you about my life crisis....

It all started back in March when I injured my achilles and was no longer able to run. Running is how I handle all of my problems and not having that outlet for my thoughts made me start thinking. My life was filled with negativity and no outlets to let go. So I ran away. I spent some time in Seattle, in the Valley, even in Canada and Alaska all of which temporarily relieved my inner suffering. I was deep in a crisis and traveling was clearly not going to fix it. Traveling however did fix my foot problem allowing me to "active" rest and heal quickly. Two and a half months and now all I'm left with is a giant lump of scar tissue. So I started running again hoping this would offer the solace that I was searching for. Instead I spent hours on my feet, alone with my thoughts breathing heavy (because I'm a bit out of shape) and thinking deeply about me about what it is that causes me to constantly feel in crisis mode unhappy and unstable. Here are the thoughts that lie at the center of my crisis.

I go through these waves of thinking I want stability and normality and routine. I want to settle down buy a house be with a consistent partner maybe have a kid. And then I flip and all I want is freedom and low commitment and excitement. I want to move into a van. Live in my office's parking lot bring my dog to work be in the mountains every weekend.
People tell me they're jealous think I'm living the life. But ever since I moved to the bay I've never felt so alone and empty. I hate this place I literally loathe everything the bay is about. But it's home and there's no better place for me to be right now so I'm here. And I love my job and I love the sierras. But I'm missing that overarching drive and passion towards an end goal. I have them in running and climbing but they come and go so quickly I feel lost.
What is it in life that gives life meaning. I've been searching and I haven't found it. The closest I've gotten is that it's the people it's about the people it's about having relationships with people it's about sharing experiences with people it's about having physical connections. Life means nothing if you're doing everything alone if you don't have people to celebrate in victories and mourn in losses.  This revelation is why I hate the bay. I have no one here. I'll never have anyone here. I've lived here for over a year now. Nothings going to change without me changing. But I don't want to change maybe because I don't want to love the bay. I want to have one foot out the door be able to run to the mountains and never come back. It's that freedom the fear of becoming salty and stuck paying off debt. I'm so afraid of getting old and having done nothing meaningful with my life. I'm young. I'm very young. But the fear of becoming one year older and having made no difference in the world terrifies me. So much so that I lay awake at night.
I feel lonely I'm not sure why. I have friends and family but I'm empty. I'm a hollow shell of a person. Living from thrill to thrill one exciting adventure to another. My coping mechanism: running. I wake up at 3am lonely I go for run. Can't fall asleep at 11pm I run. I run till I'm numb. I'll run till the sun rises and I have to go to work. Alone again but not lonely. I never feel lonely on runs. I'm too trained to block out feelings when I run. Feelings and emotions are weakness. I'm not weak.
I want to help people. I want to help I want to feel needed to feel valuable. But not for something pointless like software engineer. I want to help the extremely impoverished. And giving just my money isn't enough. I want to physically help. I want to live simply and give everything that I am. My job allows me to take as much time as I want off of work. Just after three weeks I won't get paid anymore. If I live in a van and don't have to pay rent I can afford this. I can afford to take three or four or six months off of work a year and travel to the poor and help them. Am I crazy for wanting this? I've put myself in a position where I can do this. Should I not do it? I'd be selfish not to right? Or am I already selfish for wanting to help? Do I have ulterior motives selfish motives for wanting to help them? Selfishly wanting purpose and meaning in my life?
I guess I won't know until I try. So that's what I'm doing. Everything's in place with my job they're super supportive of my desires to help the poor and live in my van. Now I just need to find my purpose. Spending all my free time running and rock climbing only fills the void in my life for a short amount of time. Don't get me wrong I'm stoked on climbing and running but what happens when I climb El Cap then what? I feel excited and satisfied for a few hours maybe a week and then what? Then I have to climb something bigger or faster or harder. And who benefited from me climbing El Cap? No one but myself. How many impoverished people suffered while I climbed El Cap?... too many. I can't help but feel like most everything I do in my life is empty. I want meaning and purpose. I want companionship. I want to see and feel the pain of these people and the pure joy that erupts from their beings. I want to help them and by helping them they will in return help me. Because I'm selfish? Because I'm deeply disturbed? Because I live in the richest county in California. Because I ride a ferry every day with people who have more money than I ever will. Who own a house worth more than I can imagine. Who own a yacht and a big screen TV. Why? Because they were born in America. Where these luxuries are more important than the lives of the poor.

I'm not sure why I'm telling you all this but I am. Probably because I'm trying to reevaluate what I am beneath the crazy overly stoked Cuban most people see. When really I'm an emotionally distraught young woman running and climbing to temporarily fill the gaping hole in my life... I am a fool.

O and here's a photo of my van. His name is Gunther.

Canada to Alaska

I flew to Calgary on Wednesday night where I met up with my best friend from college Nikki. We ended up sleeping in a Walmart parking lot that night and blasting off for adventures the next morning. We hit Banff climbed a fun multipitch, had a few beers (I really struggled... I don't drink) with some cool Canadians, and checked out the most bizarre castle! The next morning we got the beta from the locals and hit up the back of Lake Louise. When we crawled out of the back of Nikki's car (where we spooned every night) there was a light dusting of snow covering Banff but we decided to climb anyways. We loaded up by noon and were headed to Jasper stopping along the way to eat and run are legs out.

We drove all night and maybe a slept a little. By the time we made it to the Yukon we were stoked to be there. So stoked we cracked out the skis to get in some turns. We were close to the Alaska border so we headed over to cell service and more stellar skiing. We hung out in Skagway the next day doing some running and hiking until we finally caught the 6 hour ferry to Juneau. The ferry ride took awhile but the epic mountains in every direction took my breath away. In Juneau we checked out the town and then jetted off on a run hike out to the massive Mendenhall glacier where we explored tons of tight and big ice caves! It was truely epic. I caught my flight back to SF were now all I have are pictures missing Nikki and the breakfast bell peppers. I'll be back soon Canada and Alaska!

A Pyramid of a Peak

I don't have much to say about the mountain itself. Pyramid Peak was like any other mountain I've hiked. Reminded me of my home back in Colorado. I will never be much of an alpine hiker. I just find it difficult to motivate myself to hike to the top of a mountain just for the sake of hiking it and then coming back down the way you came up. I'd much rather run it or loop it. That being said I forgot how moving being at the top of a peak is. You look out over the surrounding area of mountains and peaks for miles and miles. I get excited. I want to climb all the peaks! My morale has been boosted. So many peaks I will never climb in this life time and so many peaks that I will.

-Naomi

Water Color and Ink Indian

Another Indian skull on the wall. I really dig the southwestern art and had a lot of fun this time trying my hand at water color and ink. Didn't turn out that great but I learned and can't wait to do some more! It's cool to mix it up sometimes and enjoy time just painting instead of running and climbing. A nice change of pace.

-Naomi

The Perfect Gift [when you're cheap]

I've been meaning to post about what I made my family for Christmas this year! I haven't been home for Christmas in a few years so the whole gift giving thing always throws me for a loop. It was a few days before I was to fly home (we celebrated Christmas really early) and I just got back from a long trip in the desert for Thanksgiving where I contracted an awful kidney infection and was rendered useless for a few days. It was too late to order anything online and I feared the dreaded mall around Christmas so I decided to make something for them.

Step 1: Battle the crazy Christmas shoppers and leave your house.
Step 2: Buy some plain mugs or plates or really anything porcelain. I bought white mugs. They were cheap at $1 a piece!
Step 3: Visit your local arts and crafts store and buy some porcelain paint 7 bucks a color. I got black because I had no idea what my sisters kitchen colors were. No ones going to use a green mug in there orange kitchen!? Come on!
Step 4: Take a deep breath because you're home now and don't have to deal with the awfulness of Christmas.
Step 5: Let your creative side out! Patterns. Designs. Detailed master pieces!
Step 6: Follow the instructions on the paint tubes. I believe mine said to let air dry for 24 hours and then to bake at 450 degrees for 4 hours to make them dishwasher safe.
Step 7: Give them to your family or friends or keep them. I don't care.

It is really that easy...
-Naomi

A Blog About the Bay

I hate the bay. It's no secret everybody knows it. But I have recently found some solace in positivity. As long as you don't dwell on the negative parts you won't find yourself unhappy. So I've been running and climbing and enjoying the company of the people around me. Though it's hard sometimes to not think about why bad things happen or to question every decision you made that led to those bad things. Sometimes you can't control it. Sometimes bad things just happen.

Love always,

Naomi and Lopi