Don't call it a comeback!

For the first time in MONTHS, I'm back home for an extended enough period of time that I can catch my breath and return to doing the little things that make me happy and calm. Writing is a part of my job, but getting back into the habit of writing for myself as an exercise is important to me. The practice of writing as an extension of myself brings me in touch with my own voice, without it being filtered through a template or chugging out corporate missives. I have plenty to share, always new gear to gush over, delicious food from around the country, new cleaning products that quell my compulsive neuroses, and people and ideas that have inspired me. I will try to compartmentalize and space things out over the coming weeks, so just hang on with me here.

September brought me to Denver, from there drove to Texas, from there drove to Woodside, California, from there flew me to Columbus, OH for the month of October. November found me in Massachusetts, December put me in Virginia and then NYC. The meatier part of January was spent in Denver, from where I drove back to Pennsylvania, and days later flew to Las Vegas. From there I flew back to Long Island and then drove to Charleston, SC for a week, with a one-day reprieve at Mr. Waistcoat's mother's farm in Aiken, SC on the way back to good old Lancaster PA. Last Tuesday I returned home, not for good, but for better, and I'm still reeling. Time zone swaps, adjusting the severity of my accent to be more approachable to the varying levels of cowboy accent, educated old-money Southern, not educated backwoods Southern, South African, midwestern, you name it and I've struggled to interpret and respond to it. 

Funny enough, my favorite encounter with another person happened while waiting for my red eye flight from Vegas to NYC. A woman sat down next to me at the gate and, unprovoked, started chatting me up and trash talking other people walking through the terminal. She was a woman probably in her early 60s, a Westchester, NY transplant with a home in Vegas who made a point of telling me that she was Italian (in an anecdote about how she didn't enjoy visiting France and that they can shove the Louvre up their a***** because they stole all the art from "our people" [Italians]). A certifiable fact about Italian women from New York is that they will never let it go unspoken that they are indeed Italian and from New York. I don't know how she knew I was too, I guess it's a WOP version of "gaydar," but regardless, she was beyond amusing. In my starved, sleep deprived haze I imagined her to be a sassy version of myself in 40 years, and this thought carried me through my surprisingly short flight back to the East Coast. 

As for new cool things... I have plenty to share, but I think I should start with these bad boys that landed on my doorstop in December - custom silver spurs from the brilliant Eddie Harris of Harris Leather and Silverworks.

Harris Leather & Silverworks is 100% a family business, where each member contributes their own artistry and expertise. I've had the pleasure of getting to know the Harris family through the trade show circuit, and aside from the absolutely beautiful work they do, they're truly top notch people. I don't know whether to use these spurs or to put them up on a pedestal! 

Most of my adventures have been catalogued on the 'gram as well >> @aezeum

Eating Burritos a Mile High: Denver Adventures

I did two pretty important things in Denver today:

1) I ate an outstanding burrito.

2) I finally bought a Topo Designs bag. At the flagship store. 

The burrito came from a place my coworker had heard of and really wanted to try. I consider myself something of a burrito connoisseur, so I was game to have Denver give me its best shot. The burrito in question was the Big Fish from Illegal Pete's and yes, it passed the test. We all had to spend the larger part of the day walking around the city just to work off the urge to go en masse into a giant burrito coma. To be honest I'm usually very wary of getting anything with fish in a place that's far from the water, and you really can't get much more landlocked than Denver, but for whatever reason the well-intentioned eagerness to make my burrito dreams come true of the guy behind the counter really swayed my judgment. I don't regret it.

On to the bag. I've been a Topo Designs fan for quite a while now... and when my boyfriend picked up a Mountain Briefcase in Duck Camo on his trip to Colorado last winter, I was super jealous but encouraged him to write a guest post about the experience. So after our burrito break and a leisurely stroll through some small shops in the city, I forced my accomplices to take the 20 minute walk in 95 degree heat up to the Topo flagship store. Come hell or high water... I'm in Denver, I'm getting one of these bags.

I have a monstrosity of a messenger bag that I'd bought from Incase in the beginning of graduate school. It certainly served it's purpose, and it has tons of little pockets, but it's big and structureless, and the size/weight make it extremely difficult for me to haul around as a single strap messenger bag. What I needed was a bag that can carry what I need daily for work: 15" Macbook Pro, binder, legal pads, notebook, planner, pens, measuring tape, knife, etc., be acceptable to maybe walk into a conference or something with, but also be dope, neither too feminine nor too masculine, and not boring. I recognize that this is quite a tall order, but the genuinely helpful salesman at Topo was unflagged by my request. I said that my boyfriend had the Mountain Briefcase and that I essentially wanted something to serve the same function without just copying my boyfriend. In a "I've got just the thing for you" move, he whipped out the Backpack Tote, a clever little hybrid with the right shape and shoulder straps to be a woman's tote bag, but with hidden backpack straps that can be taken out to transform the bag into a very manageable backpack. I was sold on the functionality of the bag, but neither of the two color options really leapt out at me. I asked if there were any alternatives and the Topo gods smiled down upon me when he ran to the back and brought out a one-off of the same bag, done in coyote brown and purple. The color combo was pretty solid, but the fact that it was a "one of a kind" of sorts made it extra appealing.

Front!

Back with straps out!

Back with straps hidden!

Proof that it fits lots of stuff!

Thank you, Denver, for being awesome! I'm here until Sept. 6th... and this was only Day 1. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for me. 

Guest Writer Dope Design Feature: KZ on Topo Designs

Being a full time traveler, both by nature and profession, brought me to Denver, Colorado in January. This trip gave me the opportunity to scope out a place that has been on my radar since it opened: the Topo Designs flagship store. I've always seen their bags online and been legitimately stoked about the aesthetics of their bags and the ethos of their brand, so walking in to their shop was incredibly exciting for me. Every bag is made right here in the USA in a LEED certified building that has a view of the Rockies; I got to experience the brand at its source. Their bags are simple, classic, stylish, and they provide you with exactly what you need in terms of function. No frills.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that they carried other exciting brands in their store, such as Randolph Engineering, who make my trusty aviator sunglasses, and Woolrich Woolen Mills, hailing from my beloved home state of Pennsylvania. Topo does an awesome collaboration with Woolrich, as seen in the photo I took as I stepped into their store.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a super knowledgeable guy named Josh who walked me through all of the bags that Topo Designs has to offer. I have seen similar, cheaper bags on the market in both style and function but for a few extra bucks, I think it's worthwhile to support the thoughtful design, quality, and philosophy that goes into every Topo product. Josh unknowingly led me to the one that was exactly what I needed: the Mountain Briefcase. It's available in the three colors pictured below, but I came to the conclusion that Duck Camo was the obvious choice for me.

Since I am writing this after having used the bag for nearly two months, I can tell you with certainty that this has been the ultimate bag for all of my needs. It can be used like a traditional two-handle briefcase that comes with a removable shoulder strap, but it also has stowaway backpack straps that allow you to carry it from inside the office straight to the mountaintop. Within a week of buying my bag I took it to ski slopes, mountain trails, the airport, and the workplace. I could comfortably fit my snacks, water bottle, and extra clothing layers for being on the mountain, which I then switched out to fit two laptops, some documents, and notebooks for the workplace. I decided to pick up the accessory straps which can be attached to the leather lash tabs on the outside of the bag. This comes in handy if you need to carry more than you can stow away inside your bag. There are also some cinch straps on the base of the bag. These cinches were useful for strapping down my jacket when I had to take it off as I began to overheat on my hike.

It goes without saying that I am now officially a Topo Designs fan for life. If you need a bag, check them out. I know Anne has been coveting some gear from Topo for over two years now and, after allowing me to blog about them, she'll probably order something very soon.

TopoDesigns.com