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Archive for the ‘ Airstream Camping ’ Category

 

Please Swipe Responsibly

June 19th, 2020
Stephanie Kemp on top of Peak 6 holding a snowboard

If you think dating is hard, try dating in a ski town. Population 4,896. The tourist game is so strong in Breckenridge that I can confidently proclaim that I’ve matched with more Texans in Colorado than I ever matched with Texans while actually living in Texas. For those of you unfamiliar with app dating, I’ll provide a crash course. Bumble gives the woman 24 hours to communicate with the man after a match is made (i.e. two mutual swipe rights). The man then has 24 hours to respond. Each user is given a daily extension, which will open the communication channel for an extra 24 hours. Once a... Read More

One Year on Wheels

May 27th, 2019

I am often asked if I miss having a house. My gut response is rather defensive. I have a house. It just happens to be silver, sits on wheels, and can be transported to any desired location via my car. So, the simple answer is no, I do not miss having a house. I have one. If only life were as easy as the simple answers. The more complicated (and therefore, more realistic) answer is yes, I miss having a house. And I still don’t mean the thing with four walls and windows and a door. Don’t let me fool you—I am most definitely plotting my dream homes over here (yes, plural). One is a black A-frame... Read More

We’re All Bad at Dating

April 13th, 2019

A common lead question in the world of online dating is: “What are you looking for?” Aside from being a grammatical nightmare, this question poses its own set of anxiety-ridden answers. Because how hard in the paint do you really go in response to this question when you’re on the third line of a burgeoning digital transaction? The words that your thumbs manage to string together will inevitably become the foundation for any further communication (or lack thereof). Sidebar. Dude, didn’t you read my bio? It clearly states, “Looking for a real life human with whom to do rad things. Sucker... Read More

Laying the Foundation

March 8th, 2019

If you grew up in the 90’s and have never played out even a single moment of your life to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” lyrics, I’m going to question the inner workings of your childhood. It was (or is) a rite of passage, and aside from starring in every one of my basketball warm-up mix tapes from the year it was released in 2002 until I graduated college in 2006, I can still hear the words playing in my ears through a variety of noteworthy life experiences. Spoiler alert. I’m from Basalt, Colorado. Not to be confused with 8 Mile. But, here, while cruising up Kensho chair in Breckenridge... Read More

A Game of Numbers

January 3rd, 2019
crowd of blurred men

So, I’ve been dating. It’s a rather obvious statement, but I’m saying it here with a real air of assertiveness that lets you know that I’m “for real,” because dating is what I should be doing if I am blatantly putting out into the universe that I’d like a partner in crime. And, as painful as dating can be (and, take my word for it, it can be unbelievably painful), the only way to get better at anything is by doing it. Over and over and over again. So, I’ve spent the last few months committed to putting myself out there more as a means of sharpening the side of me that would rather... Read More

In the Pursuit of Home

December 20th, 2018

Four hours ago, I blew a fuse on my inverter. Four hours and twenty minutes ago, I didn’t even know what an inverter was or that half the plugs in my Airstream were powered by an inverter, which is monumentally different (and altogether far less powerful) than those plugs that are grounded. Learning. Don’t plug a space heater into an inverter circuit. If you’re worried about my lack of electric plugs at this point in the story, don’t be. My grounded plugs are still working and my Airstream itself has power (praise God because it’s a whopping seven degrees outside). The major concern here... Read More

Let’s Talk About Boundaries

November 3rd, 2018

Let’s talk about boundaries. I have spent the last month in a state of increased awareness about my absolutely terrible ability to set boundaries. Or, maybe the problem is that I’m really good at setting them, or knowing what they should be if I were to set them, and I have an absolutely terrible time of following through with them. Whichever the case, I am currently hypersensitive to the fact that boundaries are a necessary part of respecting my self-worth, and on a traditional grading scale, I’d over-generously give myself a D+ in this category. Before I expand on this reflection, I feel... Read More

My Personal Emergency Evacuation

September 6th, 2018

About a month ago, my hometown caught on fire. I exaggerate you not that Basalt, Colorado is beyond blessed to still be standing (and may all the Lake Christine firefighters have a special place in heaven for their tireless efforts). It’s a rather surreal feeling to hear that some of your dearest friends are evacuating their homes in a place that you spent your entire childhood. It’s nearly impossible to not transplant yourself into such a scenario, and it was in this state of empathy that I had a very cathartic realization about my past attachment, and current detachment, from things. For... Read More

The Silver Lining

August 30th, 2018

One minute you’re riding a motorized bike along the Newport Pier. The sun is kissing your skin and the wind is whipping past your smiling face. The salty air is filling your nostrils and you can feel your entire body let out a sigh of pure unencumbered bliss. The next minute you’re sitting in an autobody shop listening to a mechanic tell you that you’re going to need a new car engine. Your palms get sweaty, and your eyelids flutter subconsciously. A wave of nausea passes over you as you enter into that slightly out-of-body state of being. Okay, this is not a normal day by anyone’s standards.... Read More

The Airstream That Could

August 23rd, 2018

I’m scared. There. I said it. I’m leaving Denver this week, and there is a deep part of my soul that is aching to stay in this place. Colorado is home. And, I spent almost a decade away from it, which was about eight years too many. But, I am constantly battling these feelings of staying and going. There is a part of me that feels like my work is in the staying. As a perfectionist, I often want to leave when things become uncomfortable (you can read more about that here). But, I feel like staying is contradictory to the very reason that I bought the Airstream. The point was to live a mobile... Read More