Author: Rebecca Rose Thering

You are supplied for today and all of your tomorrows

As a fun experiment, I’ve recorded myself reading this essay. Listen below—in three parts—or simply scroll down to read.

Last spring, before I headed to the trailhead of the 800-mile Arizona Trail I was about to thru-hike, I loaded up my water supply to full capacity: 6 liters.

I wasn’t sure what water sources would be like nor how frequently I’d come across them, so I wanted to err on the safe side.

Four of those liters were easily accessible while hiking: two gatorade bottles and two smart water bottles.

The other two liters were stored in a Platypus—a clear, flexible water container—which lived deep in the back of my pack. It was not easily accessible while hiking, and in my mind I thought of it as my “emergency water.” Just in case.

After the first two days, I’d crossed enough flowing streams to know that two liters of emergency water was overkill. There was no reason to be carrying all of this dead weight! Read more

book art project front

Unbound Upcycle Book Art Creation

Sometime in March, while browsing my local library’s website, I saw that they were hosting an “Un-bound Upcycle Book Art Contest” that month.

You go to your local branch, ask for an old book, and then use it as your canvas. You can turn it into… anything!

I saw this as a very low-pressure, fun Yes, yet still very much a challenge.

What can I do with a book, using what I have in my home?

What ideas do I want to share?

Read more

Imagination Captured

One of the reasons I like working on trail crew is because so far it’s the job I’ve found where I feel most human: We play, laugh, create, joke, move, and shoot out snot rockets from our noses.

There’s a coworker with whom I’ll often create random poems on the whiteboard, or random phrases aloud—while we’re waiting around the shop in the mornings. He’s one of the most creative, goofiest people I’ve met and it’s such a treasure to be around his random mind. Our creative play happens organically, unplanned.

Here’s a small snippet from a moment this week:

This friend had written the chunk in the bottom right, then passed me the paper. When I read it, I decided to use his format and just change a few things—adding the bottom left chunk.

Then he wrote the “Avoid sleepy mistakes” 2-liner, so I added the “fates” 2-liner. Then he heard in his mind a woman with a southern accent saying “Honey, fate finds you!”

Lastly came the top left chunk, to which I replied with the top right verse.

It’s so fun to playfully create—especially with others!