The First Blog Post - Welcome!

I'm going to open by asking you a question... Do you like the name of the blog? Have a better suggestion please please let me know in the comments. I'm currently exploring name options. 

Life has taken some strange twists and turns. I couldn't have predicted the events of the last few years and where it all would take me. Times they are a'changing and I figured a re-introduction of sorts was due. In a sense I am undergoing quite the transformation. 

The way I see it, we are all ever evolving creatures. I am rising into a more authentic, free spirited expression! 

If your new here, welcome! This is my website currently featuring jewelry I have designed and created by hand. I went to school for Jewelry & Design at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and have been living in the San Francisco Bay Area assisting designers and artists since 2009.  

If you've been journeying with me awhile you might have noticed I've stepped away from jewelry production as my main employment. The website has been quiet with no new work. It is true. In the spring of 2020 while a global pandemic was unfolding I was experiencing a minor health crisis of my own.

A work related repetitive stress injury. Severe inflammation, thumb tendonitis, caused my right hand to go numb with acute nerve pain starting in my wrist and hand, shooting up my forearm and to my shoulder. The 10+ years of working as a production jeweler, working multiple jobs, finally caught up with me. 

The pandemic has caused many of us to re-evaluate our lives. A shift in priorities. For me life never went back the way things once were. 

When my hand was numb there was a moment I truly wasn't sure if I'd ever regain full feeling or use of my hand without pain. There were so many scary unknowns. 

I vowed to myself if I got full use of my hand back I would leave production work professionally and dedicate myself to rock climbing goals. All I wanted was to be able to climb. 

Fast forward, with tons of rest and physical therapy I’m back to all the things. Planks, push ups, chopping veggies and rock climbing. The only thing missing is arm balances. The healing path is long and certainly not complete. I’m strength training always and working on getting back to the strength, endurance and mental game I was at in rock climbing before my injury. I have learned so much about the body and myself throughout this. 

However, I have not returned to the jewelry bench. I am taking a mental and physical break. Moving away from identifying as an “artist” and “jeweler” and following my passion for adventure, exploration, wild places and sleeping in the dirt. Making this decision has been hard.

At first it was terrifying. I didn’t know how I was going to make an income. I felt so lost and without purpose. Time has passed and I’ve grown more comfortable with the unknowns. With being present and taking it slow.

These days I identify as a tree hugger, backpacker, thru-hiker, rock climber and mermaid.

I aspire to hike my first solo thru-hike but that time line is ever shifting. I am working towards trekking a long trail (1000+ miles). I want to learn trad climbing, big wall, crack climbing and canyoneering. I want to get back into ocean kayaking and go on some kayak camping trips. Re-learn how to paddle a canoe and run some whitewater rivers via raft. Tackle the logistics of international trekking and rock climbing trips. Particularly interested in hut to hut trekking. The list goes on and on. 

I am prioritizing getting out there, traveling, pursuing these big goals and not working so damn hard. I’m working towards living in tune with the natural rhythm and working seasonal jobs. I have been working in the outdoor industry and loving it. Looking towards more meaningful work in the outdoors realm. 

I started this blog to share my journey, as a creative project and to share my adventures into the wild places I love so much. I am unsure what the content will be yet. Or the format. Expect anything from trip reports, trip planning and logistics, gear love, outdoor ethics, rock climbing stuff, current environmental issues or a photo gallery.

Endless possibly! 

Time away from the jewelry hustle has been healthy for me. I truly believe all my passions will connect in time. While my jewelry tools are packed up in a very expensive storage unit, I still am and always will be an artist. You can find my work available for purchase on this website. 

I will return to jewelry. I just don’t know when or how. 

Thanks for being here.