The air is hot, as always, but the clouds that block the beating rays of the sun and the breeze that blow make it seem slightly cooler than the previous days. I walk alone, towards a yet-unexplored section of town. Down narrow streets past well-kept homes and gardens. A black cat crosses the road in …
“Middle name John” and adventures in eating.
We arrived in Matsumoto on Friday afternoon, and our meeting with Amanda's contact in Japan to figure out what our plans were going to be for field work wasn't until Monday, leaving us with an entire weekend to explore. Saturday was spent roaming around downtown Matsumoto, first visiting the number-one tourist destination in the city---the …
Continue reading "“Middle name John” and adventures in eating."
The 40-hour journey across the world.
Some number of months ago, I agreed to go to Japan for the summer with my friend Amanda to help her collect data for her research. In exchange for my help, she paid for my trip---a deal I couldn't pass up. And so, two days ago, I found myself saying goodbye to Pennsylvania for a …
Misty morning.
I love getting up early. I'm not so fond of extracting myself from warm covers on a chilly morning, but once I'm up, out of bed, dressed, and moving, I thoroughly enjoy the sunrise hours. Especially those that are spent outside, in the woods or on the water. 6am today meant up and at 'em, …
Sweat, cows, and barking dogs.
Steam rose from the pavement, the short summer shower doing nothing to quell the intense heat in the air. I rode out of town, each pedal stroke pushing out bits of frustration and doubt that had been plaguing me for days. Every part of me was grateful to be on a bike---my legs felt strong, …
Happiness.
I’m having one of those days when I am so unbelievably happy that I am smiling to myself for no reason whatsoever. So happy I want to laugh out loud, even though nothing is that funny. So happy I want to dance, just because. I am satisfied with the present, content to be right where …
Going places on bicycles.
I woke up with a smile, still basking in the happiness of my college graduation the night before, and excitedly anticipating what the weekend would bring. My first bike touring trip. After a breakfast of salmon and cheese on rolls and chocolate chip muffins, and the gathering and packing of gear, we were off. The …
New things.
Today is a special day. This morning, I took my last final exam of my undergraduate career. I am now officially done with my degree, a task I've been working on for the past 5 years. Though I took some time off over that period of time, it was always in the back of my …
To the nth degree.
I've been trying to come up with a good name for this blog for a while. The first, "Human Nature," came to me one day last fall, when I first started the site. My thought was, I write a lot about being outside, in the woods, in nature...but I also write about life, about being …
The Hyner.
I stared up at the shadowy silhouette of the mountain looming against the clouded sky. My anticipation grew. I'm going to run up that? And then another 12 miles, up two more mountains, after running up that? I must be insane. And can I really do this? I was going to find out. It was …
helena kotala 