22

It's official, I'm an old woman. A little over a week ago I turned 22 which is honestly kind of weird to say. It feels like the first birthday into adulthood and that's something that just seems so weird to me. This morning I had to go tire shopping (the first time I have ever done something on my own for my car) and as I was waiting for them to put the tires on I picked up an issue of Better Living magazine. I just thought I am not adult enough for this. I hope to never become one of those cookie cutter adults who goes to work in a cubicle, comes home, makes the family dinner, goes to sleep and does it all over again. I hope to always look forward to something new each and every day and to put more passion into making a life rather than making an income. No one hands you a rule book when you are born telling you exactly how to live your life but it seems that is how society expects us to live. The majority of people I know hope to have a career, be married, and have kids all within a certain time frame. Screw that. Just because that's considered "normal" does not mean it has to be followed. I am currently in my senior year of college, next year will be my super senior year, then my super super senior year and so on until (who knows when) it ends. And I could care less that I am not following the so-called "normal path." Along with going off the scholarly career path, I've also gone off the party path. Most people my age are out partying every weekend going to bars and clubs and things. I've gone the complete opposite way. I hardly ever drink anymore. I still go out occasionally and like to party here and there but lately, I've been doing so much outside during the day I just don't have the energy to go out at night like I used to. Like I said, I'm officially an old woman. So instead of going out and going crazy on my birthday all I wanted was to get my adrenaline pumping. So, I went paragliding. I wasn't really following what my instructor was saying and I had assumed I would get a little instruction before flying next to a bunch of cliffs. Wrong. I put the harness on and next thing I knew I was running towards the edge of a cliff. It was awesome, and made me feel a little less old. I'm excited about where my life is going and I'm excited to enjoy the ride between now and 23.

Elevate from Dani Nations on Vimeo.

California Summer 2013

This summer was the best summer of my life so far. Most people probably say that, and it may be way too cliche and over used, but it was true for me this year. Something about my mindset on life made me look at things much more positively and helped me seek more opportunities to have fun and enjoy life.

After loving my freshman year at Cal Poly, I couldn't see myself leaving SLO for the summer. I went home for a short week to see my old friends from high school, and was right back in school taking summer classes. It was definitely difficult to stay motivated for school while it was summer but the town was kind of lonely so I didn't have too many distractions. Throughout the period of the class I did what i could to have fun by meeting new friends and surfing and hiking multiple days out of the week. Working as well kept me busy and so I was never at a loss for something to do. Since summer didn't technically start until 5 weeks into the real summer, I put in a lot of hard work so that I could play even harder when I finished. And boy did I go wild.

Starting off the summer right, I took my final a day early and left straight to San Francisco for a concert with my best friend. The 1975 are AMAZING. Especially live. If you have not heard their new album I suggest you purchase it immediately. It will change your life. Leaving that night from SF, my friend and I went back up to Sacramento to go on a fishing trip the next day with a few of our other good friends.

The camping trip was a learning experience in planning, for the most part. We did not bring near enough food, hoping to catch all of our meals which didn't happen. We ended up having to eat mostly peanut butter out of a jar. It was a bonding experience in the least, and we will continue the tradition for years to come.

After getting back from a few days on the lake fishing, I left home and went back to SLO to leave for San Diego to visit Dani before our trip to Ireland. Ireland was one of the best trips of my life. The country is so beautiful and should be a place for everyone to have on their bucket list. You can check out the video from our trip on our Vimeo or YouTube channel.

Getting back to San Diego after our trip, I left again for SLO and decided to stay there for a few days before hopping in my car again and heading up north. While in SLO, I had a pretty serious relationship with my skateboard. I was heartbroken a few days ago when it was run over by a car. She was very loyal to me and it was sad to see her go.

Back at home in Sacramento, I got to see some more friends, spend more time with my parents, and spend time relaxing after all the long days of driving and working that I had had. I never really stopped going places, and really took the time to ROAM California this summer. My other serious relationship was with my Chicken Nugget and she rolled up and down the state so many times I've lost track.

Back in SLO, I met a lot of new people and had a great time adventuring with them out to the beach, driving places, hiking, hanging out the park, going downtown, all over. I made some great friends this summer and they made it even better.

On top of all that I had done personally, I am very excited with what my sister and I have started with Roam. We are very sorry about how long it has taken to get shirts to be available but were still working hard on it and they will be out very shortly so stick with us and stay stoked on it. Great things are coming.

To finish off the summer, I took one last trip to San Diego to visit Dani for her birthday. She's is a girl who is really up for any adventure or thrilling activity. Don't know where I'd be without her. We swam with some fish in the ocean, we slacklined, we surfed, we cliff jumped, and of course the best for last, we went Paragliding. It felt like floating, and doing quick turns high above the cliffs and ocean brought a thrilling aspect to the majestic ride. Next on my list is to feel the rush of skydiving, everyone seems to be doing it around now and its something that I need to do.

The video I made shows most of the things I did, but there is no way that I fit it all into a 4 minute video.

I hope that everyone had a great summer and even though it's over, I hope that doesn't stop the fun to be had. Get out there and Roam.



California Summer 2013 from BeeJ Nations on Vimeo.

We Are Wild

This summer has become one of my most adventurous summers yet. I have traveled further, explored more, and taken the time to open my eyes and enjoy every opportunity to have fun that presents itself. This past weekend could be the most adventurous weekend of my entire summer. It started off one evening hanging out at the park down the street with two of my friends, Luke and Buster. We had a pretty cool set up going on with two slacklines, a hammock, skateboards, and a vespa. There are endless possibilities of fun with all of that in the mix.
The next day came with an early start at 5 am to take my friend Carly out to the beach. She has been training to run a marathon for the past year and that day was a milestone for her. Carly ran the furthest she had ever run going 22 miles. That is such an accomplishment and I'm proud her for pushing her limits and making it the whole way. I peddled along side on my bike for support. 22 is incredible for a run. Way to go Carly.
After that adventure, Luke and I, grabbed our fishing poles and head out to a little reservoir on campus. The fish didn't particularly like the carnitas we brought as bait but we enjoyed snacking on it and taking a little swim in the water. We then went to pick up our friend Riley and drove out to Los Osos. The location of the best burger in the San Luis Area: Sylvester's. We scarfed down our 1/2 lb. burgers that were topped with pineapple, avocado, onion rings, fried eggs, bacon, and the one of a kind Sylvester's sauce.  Fuel for adventure.
A favorite place of mine to go to is a rope swing out in Morro Bay. It's on a hike up Black Hill and is detour that must be taken whenever we're over there. We brought the GoPro's with us for this and were all mounted up flying through the air like tarzan.
After the fun filled adventurous day, we were on such a roll that we knew we couldn't stop. We hiked Bishop's peak that night at 12am to make it to the top for an overnight camp out on the top of the world. We climbed through the fog layer, feeling separated from the world below us. It was just us, a group of friends, at the top, under the stars, enjoying a warm can of beans and staring out at the world. We fell asleep early in the morning to be woken by the sunrise. One, of the most beautiful sunrises, if I must say.
However, That still was not the end to our adventurous weekend. Hopping in the car later that morning, we took road trip down to Ventura to shop at the Patagonia HQ and a new REI that was put in in Oxnard. We shopped at Patagonia first and I don't know why but, I was drawn to the most expensive articles of clothing in the store. Things that were years out of my budget. No less it was nice to try on six hundred dollar jackets.
Our next stop was Riley's aunt and uncle's house. They have a beautiful home on the side of a hill looking out on the town and the ocean. I was in love with the place. They had a trampoline, where Luke and I practiced our flips, and a guest house where we had a heated nerf war. We climbed the family's avocado tree, and enjoyed quesadillas with homemade guacomole (my favorite). The rest stop was perfect nourishment before heading down a few more miles to make more purchases at REI. Riley equipped himself with a new tent and sleeping pad, Luke a water bottle, and I got some nylon webbing to make a new slackline. More tools for adventure.
We made the turn around and head back up north to SLO, with a quick stop for a cheeseburger at In n Out, a California road trip must.
It was a perfect weekend of adventure and fun. Taking all of the opportunities to do these things are wait made it so fun. It was long and I slept like a rock last night after we got back, but every second was enjoyable and so worth it.

Below are two separate links to the video from the weekend. The first is from our new YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/roamcalifornia
We Are Wild (YouTube)

And the second is from our Vimeo Channel: vimeo.com/channels/roamcalifornia
We Are Wild (Vimeo)

They're the same video so check either of them out!

Roam California

Passion.

The opportunity in the world today is so vast that people can make a living doing almost anything they want. Life is about finding a passion and living for everything that it represents and stands for. Life isn't livig without having something to love. Starting roam has taught me to open my eyes to the world around me. I have seen so many more businesses and ideas that people have filled with so much heart and dedication. It's taught me to take second looks at things and understand how and why. And to not judge what a person loves to do. Everyone in the world is different and no one can tell them differently what they love to do. Now that I'm starting my own life and taking charge of what I want to do with it, I take every opportunity presented to me to try something new to find new motivation and inspiration to find my true passion. I do these things to find what I love to do. And these sources of motivation can come from any source. I went to a gymnastics training conference a few weeks back and learned so many new things, not only with gymnastics but with all aspects of life. It was terrific motivation, putting all the pieces together to find inspiration to progress my life. There is no one moment that makes a life. It is so many moments, so many actions that make life amazing. Listening to champion level gymnast George Hery, he did so many incredible things throughout his life. He told me over dinner that he once did a backflip on a trampoline on the top of one of the great pyramids in Egypt. He also did a backflip on top of one of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. And he's 80 years old and can still do a backflip on a trampoline. That's just proof that life goes on and that life doesn't stop after one event. If you keep going, it keeps going. These stories inspire me to go out and take progressive opportunities to do things that are memorable in life. Combining this from one of my favorite short films "The Dark Side of the Lens" where a quote is stated saying that the narrator knows, "I may never be a rich man, but If I live long enough, I'll certainly have a tale or two for the nephews. And I dig that." That is passion and a love for something that nothing else can stand up to. It takes eyes and an open mind to the world around to find passion. When it comes down to it, money doesn't make the world go round. It's the passion in each individual to bring an idea to make the world the world it is. Live in the now. Making memories is more important than making money. Live the way you want to live. 

Money can't buy happiness,

happiness is made by you. 

Making a difference

Something that has always been a big part of my happiness is making a difference to others. It's always been the way that I was raised to make that little difference or go above and beyond to do something for someone. My mother was a big influence on this fact and over the years growing up it continued to be reinforced by so many of my peers and role models who make a difference in my life.

In high school my senior year, my best friend was the class president and had the main focus on having everyone do their best to make a difference to others. This could be anything from simply saying hello to someone or giving them a compliment, to helping with schoolwork or a personal problem. These little things certainly make a difference to myself and how adamant my friend was about making a difference was incredible to look up to.

Following the goal of making a difference, during my sophomore year I gave my first donation of red blood cells with BloodSource, a local blood bank dedicated to providing blood to those in need. Ever since my first donation, I have been hooked on annually donating and helping others. My senior year through student government, I headed the committee to put on the blood drive at my high school. It has become something very important to me and I hope to continue it through the rest of my life.

Last week I contributed my 16th red blood cell donation, and 4th platelet donation, over the past four years. After giving my first few red blood donations, I wanted to help further with plasma donations and platelet donations. Both of these processes take a bit longer but what is a couple hours out of your day to make the difference to save a persons life. Platelets only last about 5 days and more and more people are in need of them every day. Platelets also replenish faster than red blood cells, allowing donors to donate platelets every two weeks.

I think that giving blood is an excellent service. Since less than 10% of people who are eligible to donate, actually donate, it is crucial to have people who regularly donate their time and blood cells to ones in need. People need your help to help them survive.

If you are eligible, please sign up to donate at a local blood bank today and make a difference to someone in need.