Before you book your one-way ticket, you should probably know how your favorite Pacific Northwest town ended up so white in the first place. Hint: there’s nothing natural about it.
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Three Black surfers meet on a beach to discuss public and private grief surrounding the pandemic and the epidemic of state sanctioned violence against Black men.
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Where the current pulled left, the water darkened. To my front and right, I could see slivers of light and air bubbles at the edges of the fishbowl’s rim. Water and air were being mixed and pushed downstream from the ledge. That must be where the real air is. At the surface.
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And each time I turned around I felt like a complete failure! Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me to pick another hobby. A safer hobby. A warmer hobby. In fact, each time I fail, I tend to go through the complete stages of grief. Seriously! I go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and the hardest one, acceptance.
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I feel like I've seen it all, candy wrappers, empty plastic water bottles, hair ties, socks, underwear, dog poop bags that are full and tied up for the poop fairy to pick up (there isn't one), and guess what else? New and used tampons and condoms! Yep, that's right!
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So to tell the truth I started hiking because it felt like a vacation for me and it was what I could afford at the time. I had such an amazing time and I was able to discover such a beautiful side of the Pacific Northwest and fall in love.
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I can't help but dwell on the idea of where my relentless drive and fiery passion for doing something different, something unusual, despite my race, gender, small stature, and yes, even fear of heights. Although, when I look back, it's easy to realize it was primarily due to my mom and people like her who believed in me, even when I went through phases of not believing in myself.
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I have always lived in predominately all-white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skinned, tall, skinny, long hair, delicate features, and ladylike—the epitome of Eurocentric standards. Sorry, not sorry, I don't fit those standards...
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There are a number of lookout towers throughout the Pacific Northwest: some are fully functioning lookout towers only to be rented during off-seasons, while others are available year-round. Two of the towers I booked were 40 ft towers with incredible views of the mountain ranges above Oregon's popular Douglas Firs.
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I was struggling to stay warm and keep my food down, I was anxious to start moving again whether it was ascending or descending I didn't care.
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We spent the day covering crevasse travel and rescue, kick and plunge stepping, snow anchors, digging an avalanche snow pit, and taking turns sliding down a hill to practice self-arresting, a technique vital for mountaineering if you fall.
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