Emma Lopez
Colorful World of Vibrant and Dull Extremes: Finding Balance
When I arrived in Wyoming, I fancied vibrant yellows and then deep rusty oranges - the colors of aspen leaves in the fall. For the first...
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Emma Lopez
Jan 24 min read
To Dwell or Not to Dwell: How Do We Deal with the Emotions of Nostalgia?
Nostalgia creeps in like the cold of winter. Slow at first, then one day the icy wall shows up with full force, impossible to ignore....
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Emma Lopez
Dec 9, 20235 min read
Pacific Northwest: Traveling Through Light and Shadows
A mother and daughter sit at a countertop in a bar facing out to the quiet street. They are drinking oat milk hot chocolates. It's 9pm in...
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Emma Lopez
Nov 15, 20235 min read
Death in the Mountains: A Quest of the Sublime
Another man died in the mountains. I say another because that fate is not uncommon in mountain towns. I say man because fatality among...
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Emma Lopez
May 9, 20224 min read
Be a Man: How Gender Norms Shape Today's Kids
I walk back from an evening program with a school group, and four kids are crying. That's how I know it's been a good night. I take them...
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Emma Lopez
Mar 20, 20223 min read
Self-Soothing: A Necessary Skill to Coping with Life's Challenges
Imagine something traumatic has happened to you. Maybe it actually has. We may have a support system - Parents, friends, teachers,...
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Emma Lopez
Dec 21, 20215 min read
Beating the Holiday Blues by Managing Expectations
Twinkling lights wherever you go, holiday desserts, family gathering, gift giving, time off from work - How could one not be happy around...
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Emma Lopez
Dec 10, 20218 min read
Blasé in Beautiful Arches
I planned to visit five national parks this week, and spend every night under the stars. I start to rethink this decision on the second...
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Emma Lopez
Nov 30, 20216 min read
The Materialistic World of the Outdoor Industry
Gear. Gear. Gear! You have it, or you don't. The word itself is so subjective - It can be valued at $5 or $5,000, depending on where you...
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Emma Lopez
Jul 8, 20214 min read
Can I have your life? The Flattering Question That Makes Me Cringe
I posted a picture to social media last week of a moose that I saw while exploring the Bighorn Mountains. Someone commented, "Can I have...
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Emma Lopez
Jul 2, 20216 min read
Is My Life Worth a Hat? Grappling with the Value of My life
Never had I been forced to consider the worth of my life before my last solo-hike. I am hiking a trail called Upper Layout, a modest hike...
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Emma Lopez
Jun 3, 20216 min read
A Park Ranger's Experience Visiting Yellowstone National Park in the Summer
There is a Mott's fruit snack wrapper floating sadly in a bubbling thermal pool. I find myself staring at it longer than the geyser...
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