“ALL THIS TO SAY I DID NOT GROW UP CAMPING”
As many know I was born in Chicago raised
in Dallas, Texas. Though most of my childhood was in Chicago, I consider Texas my home because it’s where I spent my youth into young adulthood. Either way, I’m a city girl! Texas is the south and there’s plenty of floating rivers & crawfish broils BUT at the end of the day it’s a city lifestyle, so not much camping was involved in my upbringing. Not to mention I’m Black. I’m not sure if it’s just a cultural thing but black people aren’t known for CHOOSING to set up tent to live and poop outside in the woods. Call it ancestral trauma… it’s not just what we do. All this to say, I did not grow up camping. Not to mention my love for hair, makeup and all things esthetics meant I was stereotyped into never even being invited on camping trips.
“I NEEDED TO FIND MY GREATEST JOY”
So what got this girlie girl makeup artist into camping? Short answer, midlife crisis. Long answer, I needed to find my greatest joy. After some soul searching I discovered that my greatest joy came from being close to my creator and I felt closest to The Creator IN creation. No better way to be in creation than going off grid and into the woods. And no better motivation to hit the road than fresh new gear, including my 2022 fully loaded Bronco! You can follow along my Bronco journeys on my Let’sGoBronco IG page. Apart from the many awesome adventures I take in my Bronco, Instagram GOT ME with one of the coolest toys yet, an Acacia two person tent. I’ve always heard horror stories about the difficulty of pitching a tent, but since this is the only tent I’ve ever experienced I know nothing of the sort. Not only is my tent super easy to pitch, it has a floor that pads the ground, creates a stable level base no matter the terrain and IT FLOATS!!! I love this thing. When you spend good money on what I like to call a portable folding house that regulates the temperature, survives extreme weather AND is super cute you just can’t wait to hit outdoors. So yea, between my crisis, my Bronco and my Acacia tent I was ready to be in the wild.
“WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE A HOT GUY?”WHY BOTHER IT’S NOT WORTH IT”
My most recent excursion was to Death Valley National Park. I stayed at the Furnace Creek Campground. I thought I would spend my days wild just reading and journaling, mostly on the campground. BUT when a hottie rolled up on his bike and set up shop in the spot next to me, I channeled my inner Megan Fox who said about what to do when you see a hot guy “why bother, it’s not worth it”, I left faster than he could get off his bike and thank God I did. I had no idea the greatness I would’ve missed out on had I just stayed on site being lazy.
“I WAS AT THE LOWEST POINT WHILE FEELING MY LOWEST”
I was able to visit most of all the hot spots (pun intended hehe). You would think me being a sunset chaser I would’ve favored watching the sunset on the sand dunes the most. And while it was gorgeous I have to say my favorite spot was Badwater Basin. Did you know that Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the western hemisphere? Very fitting as I feel like I’ve been on a descend lately. I heard something in a post from an artist, arielle estoria, a few months ago that resonated with me she related that she was experiencing a lull and she got encouragement from a friend who said “ most people dont go from peak to peak. You have to decend to ascend.” This described where I was in my life at this time perfectly. The last few years I was on a high of so much going great, I had reached major goals and could count many blessings, even through the pandemic, for which I remain grateful. When business and relationships began to slow down, or just not going my way I felt a lull. I still had all the blessings I had accomplished & received it’s just the new ones weren’t rushing in like they had been and relationships had to come to an end. I was on a descend. So it was fitting to arrive at the second lowest point in the world while also feeling my lowest. It was a metaphor for life and I took it literal. I did some grounding, meditating, and accepting. I left Badwater Basin with the feeling that I had reached my valley, spent enough time their reassessing, rejuvenating & reflecting and it was time to begin my ascend to the next peak.
You can take the makeup artist out of the city but you can’t take the makeup artist out of the girl. Even when im off the grid I still observe a skin care routine, have a shower set up cuz this chica needs to bathe daily. And even tho Im channeling the “why bother, it’s not worth it” attitude when it comes to the male species, I still wanna look cute and smell good, even if just for myself. I showered every night and did a quick makeup sesh every morning, it’s a camping edition beat that took less than 3 minutes and was accessorized with sunglasses.
As I bid farewell to the hottest place in the world and return to city life to turn up the heat even further for two back to back weddings in one weekend where I am both artist and guest (come back as I detail that adventure), I carry with me the lessons learned and the memories made, grateful for the journey that has brought me closer to myself and the world around me. For in the end, it's not just about the destinations we reach, but the experiences that shape us along the way.
Some like become one with the land in appearance and smell, I keep my hygiene and cuteness routine in tact: