When Life Hands You Lemons

It's been nearly a year since I posted to my blog, and frankly it was a long one. After the move to Las Vegas, I lost myself and lost my passion for life. I started graduate school last Fall, and frankly I think it was only because I wasn't sure what else I wanted to do with my life. After graduating from Slippery Rock University, I freaked and thought, 'Well, I can waste a little more time avoiding reality by going to graduate school,' but alas, that was a bad decision.

So after a grueling first year of graduate school, where I barely made a dent in my writing because I was more stressed than not, I decided to drop out of graduate school and attempt to find my passion in life again which means in less than a week I am headed back to Girl Scout Camp!

In the mean time, there were some fun parts of my past year that I get to update you on.

My best friend got married last Fall!

Wrexx was adopted into the family!

I tried my hand at being artistic.

New Year's was a hoot back in Wisconsin.

I learned how to change a tire in a -40 degree winter snow storm.

At least it was pretty out.

I spent time reminiscing the past while walking on the beach back in Wisconsin over the Winter.

I saw the Jabbawockeez perform at the Luxor.

Ashley came to visit!

My friend, and considered my little sister forever, moved in.

I played soccer for the first time in a while and made my team's only goal!

And best of all, I found a new passion in crossfit that allowed me to kick my own butt into shape while silently competing with everyone else, and having the best support system ever at Crossfit Mountain's Edge in Las Vegas, NV.

So it was a crazy year of new experiences and searching for passion in life. My parents also came to visit, as well as my best friend Katie from Pennsylvania. I got a bomb job at Mandalay Bay for a bit, but left so I can go to camp. My newest hope that I'll find myself at camp again and move forward in a career that I can always be passionate about. The search for adventure and life happenings is on! 

Look forward to a way more exciting post at the end of the summer from my escapades at camp and in the northern part of the Tahoe forest near Sierra City, CA. It's going to be a swell time of leading young girls in their own summer adventures of canoeing, hiking, camping, and eating s'mores. And in my own time, I get to hike, rock climb, paddle board, and so much more while being inspired by the great outdoors to relax and write. I can't wait to get to know my new camp director, and she has high hopes for my future in the camp world as I do. 

See you in August! Peace out, Girl Scout.

"Adventure is out there." Go find it!

The One and Only,

Carly K.

Filming in South Africa

Big Mama

Today I started planning my documentary; what animal I wanted my documentary to be on, problems the animal could face, problems I could face while filming, the cutaways I could get while filming so I could make the story more dramatic while in the editing room. Filming documentaries is almost like shooting a fictional film, you work with real subjects but the editing is what makes the story real.

I chose to work with warthogs and lions to create a television trailer for a new documentary series I made up called World of Warthogs, based off of Meerkat Manor. I created the story of big head honcho Boris in charge of keeping his clan, the Tuskers, safe from his outcast brother Scar with his War-Thugs and bigger threats like lions. Other characters are introduced in the trailer which I will post soon! 

I realized that one of the worst things about working with warthogs is that they are incredibly skiddish and will run away and almost any movement. I learned a lot of patience while working with these creatures and recommend anyone that ever does a documentary to have much more patience than I do to even attempt to work with these awesome animals. The one neat thing, though, is that even though Big Mama is super protective, I got to know her and the twins quite well and was able to get within ten to fifteen feet of them and sit with them for long periods of time and record them. I think Big Mama was able to sense that I was not as threatening as some other creatures, considering I wasn't threatening at all. I really grew to love my warthog 

The twins, Gerdy and Forrest

"Adventure is out there." Go find it!

The One and Only,
Carly K.

Jukani, Wildlife Sanctuary

Spent the day earlier in the week at Jukani, a wildlife sanctuary in Mossell Bay, with everything from white tigers, white lions, Siberian tigers, lions, cheetahs, jaguars, panthers, caracals, and other animals like jackals and African wild dogs.

Snoozing caracal

I have seen most of these animals at zoos before, but I have never seen a jackal before and never seen nor heard of a caracal which is almost a small bobcat without the fancy markings.

The white tigers and lions were absolutely stunning. I have never heard of a white lion before, because I guess they are so highly hunted for their coats that they are very endangered. I was thankful for the opportunity to be able to see these animals up close.

Male lion

Female white lion, so beautiful

White tiger

Pacing cheetah

Curious tiger, sniffing at the fence

I wish I had more to say about this place but some things are really harder to put into words than others. I can just hope that the pictures I shared can help get the breathtaking feeling I felt across to you guys.

"Adventure is out there." Go find it!

The One and Only,
Carly K.