If it wasn't for a murderous white guy that got lost and didn't ask for directions, there's a good chance that we wouldn't have to pick up trash or watch the destruction of our natural resources. .
.
Stewardship is not some new idea. The original and true stewards of this land deserve to be celebrated today and everyday. The love they have for the land is unmatched. The respect they have for it is truly beautiful.
.
.
All of us live everyday on stolen land. America was not discovered, it was already here and inhabited. It was stolen by murderous force. Our government to this day has still never said sorry. That would require the acceptance of wrongs committed against indigenous people like the forcible removal of them from their lands. .
.
When I used to teach, I gave my students an assignment around this date every year. It was called Columbus- Friend or Foe?. They had to do real research and come up with an answer. In all my years, not a single student chose friend. Not. A. Single. One.
.
.
This is not a coincidence. It's just true, hard facts. Something you cannot deny when you look past a colonizer- written, white-washed history book. .
.
Today, I challenge you not to just go leave the lands better than you found them, but to really recognize the privilege you have to do so. To recognize the true and original stewards of the lands you walk on. To take the time to learn about the indigenous people of where you live and where you recreate. If you learn something from them, compensate them. .
.
I also want you to go out and amplify the voices of indigenous people already out doing the work. Use your privilege to amplify their voices today and everyday. Those voices deserve to be heard. .
.
This photo was taken on Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) land and I am privileged to live in Kinnikinnick, Ohio, the land of the Shawnee and possibly the Miami, Osage and other Hopewell cultures. .
.
#britanyinwanderland #britanysadventuresinwanderland #11thessential #thegroundskeepers #wildkeepers #impactday
I used to be scared & ashamed of who I was. I spent almost a decade wrestling with my true self.
.
.
Having Mental Health Day & #NationalComingOutDay back to back is so fitting for my life. So many LGBTQ+ suffer from mental health issues trying to learn how to be themselves, to come out, or from the bullying and non-acceptance they face from their families and communities.
.
.
2 years ago, I wrote a blog post about my coming out story but it's too much for these little squares (link in bio) but I want to talk about one of the most important parts of that blog. The part a lot of people don't realize- You don't come out just once. We could only hope it was that easy.
.
.
Coming out is an everyday occurrence. Every. Single. Day. You come out every time you meet someone new. You come out every time you correct someone when they refer to your spouse by the wrong term. You come out every time you go to the grocery together. You come out every time you hold hands in public.
.
.
It's emotionally draining and exhausting. It's why so many in our community hide from their true selves or live their lives behind closed doors. It's why our mental health suffers constant blows. The fear of how someone will react when you tell them, sometimes choosing not because of it.
.
.
I used to be that person who kept it behind closed doors. Even when I finally "came out", I let societal pressure keep me from living authentically. I lost someone I deeply cared for and loved because of my inability to love who I was & be proud of it regardless of the consequences. It is my only regret & my biggest motivator for living my life now.
.
.
I benefit from the privilege of "not looking gay". (Rant for another day.🙄) It affords me the ability to travel more safely in certain areas of the country. I wish it didn't matter though.
.
.
All of that to say this- Coming out and living your truth is a rollercoaster that you are strapped into for life. Some days it's terrifying and some days it's pure bliss. Some days you're screaming and some days you raise your hands in the air and enjoy. It's a long ride but I will say it's 100% worth getting on because not going for the ride is scarier.
I’ve been trying to put together my thoughts on the #WOTRCampout since I drove away from that beautiful little section of desert. This morning, as I flipped through the photos on my camera from the weekend trying to put my thoughts on paper, this photo stuck out to me for a few reasons.
.
.
I have been doing a little personal series for my 35th trip around the sun. Shooting with a 35mm lens even when it isn’t really the best case. The goal is to compile 35 35mm photos from my 35th year. I try to shoot at least one “selfie” for each trip. This is definitely my choice from the weekend. .
.
However, the reason for that choice is a little deeper than a “felt cute, might delete” photo. This photo captures a genuine smile. A smile that came from a heart that was overflowing with love, gratitude and appreciation for the people and the place that surrounded me. A smile that was the direct result of the abundance of love and light exuding from everyone in attendance. A smile reaffirming that those are the people my life has always needed and that traveling, especially solo, is hard but worth it for the gifts it gives us.
.
.
My smile has become my calling card. A part of who I am. I smile at everyone I pass. I usually sport a smiley face hat on trail. Spreading smiles for miles. A beautiful soul at the campout even gave me a kindness card because she said I smiled at her every time we passed. (I had a good, happy cry about this that night.)
.
.
However, something that also stands out is that smile hasn’t always been so genuine. It used to mask a lot of pain. A lot of trauma. A lot of darkness that swirled around inside the head it was attached too. I used to try to spread a happiness that I could not create for myself. I look at some photos from those times and feel like a fraud. I knew there was no happiness in the smile on my face.
.
.
But slowly, I started to find light and happiness. It was an agonizing process that involved even more pain and frustration. That is something that isn’t always talked about. That when you are trying to turn your darkness into light, things might get darker as you dive deeper into yourself. .... con't in comments.
There's a first time for everything. .
.
As we get older, all too often we find that those first-time moments are few and far between. Is it because we've done everything? Not usually. Is it because we become complacent in our routines? Absolutely. .
.
Complacency is sometimes synonymous with safety in our minds. We no longer challenge ourselves with things that scare us or make us uncomfortable. We don't try things because if we haven't already, why would we? .
.
I felt this strongly in my late 20s. I was always a "yes" person and slowly I realized I was becoming a "no". I couldn't put my finger on it. That wasn't who I was. I used to fear complacency and there I was, wading in the safety of the shallows. No longer ready to dive in the deep when asked. .
.
I refused to live my life that way any longer. Since then, I've made a point to add "first times" to my list whenever I can. I make a point to note a first-time experience even if it's just a mental one. Because there is always a little fear with first times which means there is a chance for growth. .
.
This weekend I will have a few first-time experiences. It will be my first time traveling solo without my dog. I know that doesn't sound like much but he's my security blanket. This means traveling without my seizure detector. Therefore- I will need to be more present. .
.
I will be traveling without my rig solo for the first time. I will be spending the weekend with the largest group of women I ever have. I will be meeting people in person for the first time. .
.
This morning I woke excited, but it was now accompanied by anxiety with a little fear. But that's okay- I've welcomed that feeling because I have vowed to always choose growth. To never stop saying yes to first times. .
.
#britanyinwanderland #britanysadventuresinwanderland #seekthetrails #womenontheroad
A love letter to Eowyn the Escape. ❤
.
.
When I first laid eyes on you, I had no idea what you would become.I didn’t know that your model name would actually become what you are to me, my escape. .
.
I had no intentions of turning you into my home away from home. No intention of driving you thousands of miles across state after state into the mountains. No intentions of you becoming more than just a mode of transportation. No intentions of finding so much happiness behind your wheel.
.
.
I was a different person when I took you home the first day. It is not lost on me that I happened to find you for sale in the Hocking Hills. The place I learned to love the outdoors. I was in the midst of grand changes. Life was moving and I couldn’t slow it down.
.
.
I craved the road or at least something new. This is the longest I have been in one location since I went off to college. On a vacation not long after, we had rented a car and basically ended up living out of it for 10 days. It was a little miserable, but manageable. We uttered that we had wished we would have rented an SUV. I thought of you at home.
.
.
It was on that same trip I had a soul-awakening. I knew a change had to be made. My priorities needed realigned with what my heart yearned for. When we returned home, I looked at you differently. I looked at you through new eyes that no longer saw just a vehicle. They saw the beginning of something beautiful. They saw endless adventure on 4 wheels.
.
.
I will never forget the first trip when you become an “adventure mobile”. I remember the anxiety. The fear. I also remember the soothing sound of your wheels on the highway. I remember the gas stations and the color of the changing seasons all around. I remember feeling alive. .
.
Every trip has morphed you into something more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. You are an extension of me. My solace. My slowdown. The rabbit hole to my version of Wonderland.
.
.
As I look at the calendar and realize 2 weeks from today I will be headed to a campout with so many others who see their vehicles the same way, a little sadness washes over me at the thought of being there without you.... cont in comments.
