You can’t break away from it.
That thirst–that insatiable wretched beautiful thirst–it calls to you like a siren.
Drinking in a Desert
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Category Archives: Ashley Adventures
The Day of Reckoning
Okay… if you google “The Day of Reckoning” you get this…
The Day of Reckoning:
“A time when one’s past mistakes or misdeeds catch up with one.”
“A day at the end of time following armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual human.”
…annnd this post has absolutely nothing to do with any of that…Now you know.
Lookin’ For Trouble
At the heart of every adventure, lies a reason for its existence: a need, a want, a desire… maybe a goal, a fear, or an adrenaline rush… For me? Well, when you break it down, I guess it’s always the same: I’m lookin’ for trouble.
The Heart of a Runner
A few months ago while I was out at Badwater, I got a text from my good friend, Beth McCurdy: “Hey girl, I want to talk to you about something, I have an idea. Call me when you get back to Georgia.” At the time, I was out exploring Red Rock, the Grand Canyon, and working at the greatest races of all time in Death Valley (Badwater) so I pushed the text to the back of my mind. I didn’t think of it again until I got home. Funny though, because that little text would ultimately turn into one of the most inspiring experiences of my life…
Winder Walmart
I have had the worst luck ever while trying to blog lately. I don’t know why, but every time I try to get a thought onto the comp I get stuck and end up drafting it. I have a lot of drafts.. but that does nobody any amount of good. Continue reading
Badwater, Branding & Deep Thoughts
After Jen and I road tripped all the way from Vegas to Death Valley, it was time to ditch the wheels and find the party. We then joined the race director, Chris Kostman, and his soon-to-be wife Laurie Streff, lounging by the pool drinking fruity drinks and waiting for runners… Bahhhaha! Just kidding. No actually we found the pair doing exactly what you’d expect an RD to be doing before one of the most meticulously executed running events in the world: preparing and polishing every last detail of Badwater. Continue reading
Road Trippin’ with a Prophet to Badwater
I like to give people nicknames.. mainly people I really like..(well- or dislike, because I give those people interesting nicksnames too..) But for people I like, it’s just a way for me to show affection. I mean, really if you know someone better than most people do, then the world deserves to know that you gave that person a legit nickname. Take Jen Vogel, for instance: Jen and I started to grow close last year. Then, seeing as Jen plucked herself out of the redneck infiltrated state of Georgia to move to the beachy Florida, God only knows why, our blossoming friendship was whittled down to lengthy phone calls. It was during these phone calls that I began to notice a reoccurring theme in our chats- I’d call and ask Jen about a question of life, and Jen would respond with some kind of Yoda-ish answer that could have been complete bull for all I knew, but it would always sound prophetic.
Seeking Out Inspiration in Death Valley
Let me be straight with you guys…ahh geez this is gonna get ugly- I can feel it.
I lost interest in ultrarunning earlier this year…
Yeah I kind of hinted around at it in a few posts, and, if you follow any of the ridiculous stuff I write on twitter with Jen.. You most definitely would have picked up on it.
Sedona – Moving Forward
After we finished our canyon run, Amber and I hopped in the jeep and headed south for yet another run through the enchanted red rocks of Sedona. During our road trip- filled with more music, laughter, and sharing- I realized at that moment, I had never before felt so free. Continue reading
Blooming in the Desert: The Decision (Ch. 4)
(Please read Chapters 1, 2, & 3 before this post!)
The Sign
“So whad’ya think, Ambs?”
Amber and I were going back and forth- taking turns between Devil’s Advocate and Gutsy Adventurer- trying to decide exactly what we should do at this point.
Do we finish out our adventure of a lifetime?
Do we play it safe and turn around?
Our guts were telling us to turn around, but ironically- our guts were propelling us forward. We simply didn’t know which “guts” to listen to:
“It’s 1:18.” I said, “Think we can tackle the rest of that climb, then run 13 back to phantom ranch before they close at 4 to get more food?”
“I mean… Probably.. If we push it? But do we chance that? That’s a really big chance to take, ya know? I mean, Ash..we don’t get any food and we’re toast. We’ve got kids and husbands waiting by the phone to make sure we are okay. One wrong move out here and we could be dead.” Continue reading
