Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Author: poeaxtry_

  • Cats vs. Dogs: Can You Really Love Them Both?

    Cats vs. Dogs: Can You Really Love Them Both?

    Dogs or cats?

    I’ve heard this question countless times. It’s practically a meme: “So… are you a cat person or a dog person?”

    My honest answer? Both.

    But not in a half-hearted, middle-of-the-road way. I genuinely love both cats and dogs but, for very different reasons. They both hit very different emotional frequencies.

    Let me explain.

    My dog is my hiking partner. She is always ready to explore, no questions asked. The leash comes out, and the tail starts going. Luna is down for waterfalls, caves, trails, car rides. Whatever, you name it. She is not just an emotional support animal. Luna, an adventure buddy. Loyal, goofy, grounded. It’s true. When it’s cold, there’s comfort in having a warm dog body pressed up against you. When I’m anxious, curling up with her is invaluable. It’s steadying. It feels like a hug from a friend who just knows.

    But my cat?

    The kitty boys are something else entirely.

    Cats are animals of consent. You don’t just get a cat’s love. You have to earn it. They choose you.

    My cats are cuddle boys when they want to be. When they are in the mood, there is nothing more comforting than one of them purring into my ribs. But when they are not into it? That’s valid. They have their space. They come back when they are ready. That choice makes the connection feel more sacred.

    There’s a respect that develops between a person and a cat. You have to show them that you’re cool before they give you affection. And when they do? It’s like a private little trust pact. That they’re not giving out to just anyone.

    Dogs are often ready to love everyone. And I adore that about them.

    Cats… they love on their terms. And I respect the hell out of that.

    So for me, it’s not a contest.

    I love them both.

    I love what my dog brings into my life… joy, movement, loyalty, warmth.

    I love what my cats bring… presence, autonomy, quiet connection, and consent-based affection.

    They’re different souls. Different relationships. Different energies.

    I’m lucky to be loved by all of them.

  • Waterfalls, Sunset Bridges & Losing Track of Days | Appalachia Day 5 Travel Log

    Waterfalls, Sunset Bridges & Losing Track of Days | Appalachia Day 5 Travel Log

    I’ve done so much this trip, I can’t even keep track of the days anymore. Seriously! I thought this was Day 4, but it turns out we’re on Day 5. Which was actually yesterday!since I post the day after. Time doesn’t move normally. It’s challenging when you’re chasing waterfalls. You skip small towns, and try to fit an entire mountain range into your memory.

    But that’s the magic of it.

    Today we started with a roadside stop. It was not a tourist destination. It was not marked on any guide. This one was just a waterfall pouring its way down a rock face, belonging there more than we did. We pulled over without planning to. Sometimes the best parts of travel aren’t even the places you mark on the map. They are the ones that interrupt you.

    another one of the 6 of more waterfalls on Living Water Ministries property in WNC
    Old mill now is a rehab, pained red. Huge water fall.
    Look at this view!

    After that, we drove to Living Waters Ministries. It is a piece of private land in the mountains. They open it to the public, so everyone can share in the quiet. There are bridges and trails that wind around multiple waterfalls, and the whole place feels spiritual. And not just because it’s a ministry, but because the water itself speaks in hushes. We saw flowing falls, mossy stones, and gentle shade that made us linger longer than planned. I even found a plethora of orange mushrooms!

    I love spaces that don’t gate keep peace. There’s something so honest about that. About letting the land be seen, letting the sound of water be free.

    Axton in blue sliding rock shier, black shorts standing on a rock cave on Living Waters Ministry's property in WNC

    We closed the day on the French Broad River Overlook Bridge. We watched the sun stretch across the sky. It touched every color in the crayon box. Golden hour felt like a painting, like a hymn. I didn’t need to talk. I just breathe, just exist there with my sister and the air and the light.

    This trip has been long and heavy in some ways, but moments like this… they guarantee you are lifted.

    Sign for the French Broad River Asheville, NC

    🛣️ What’s Next: my Route Home

    I am heading back slowly, making time to stop at a few more gems before we leave the mountains behind.

    Warrior’s Path State Park in Tennessee, for a breath of forest and maybe one last skip along the lake. Hawk’s Nest State Park, WV because every trip needs a cliff view and a cable car, right? New River Gorge, that grand, wild canyon bridge where the earth opens wide.

    Each stop feels like a pause, a prayer, a final thank-you to the land that’s held me.

    Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. You allow me to keep sharing this journey one journal entry, one stop, one miscounted day at a time. 🌿

    The video of today’s waterfalls and that wild sunset is up on TikTok. It is also available on Instagram and many other places now (@Poeaxtry_). If you’ve ever stood under a waterfall or cried at golden hour, I think you’ll get it.

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  • The Things That Make Me Lose Track of Time-in The Best Way!

    The Things That Make Me Lose Track of Time-in The Best Way!

    Which activities make you lose track of time?

    Some things just pull me into a rhythm so deep that I don’t notice the hours passing. I’ll forget to eat. I’ll forget to check my phone. When I finally look up, and it’s dark outside or way later than I thought it was. That timeless focus doesn’t happen with most things, but it happens to me in very specific moments.

    Hiking is one of the first thing I found. There’s something about being on a trail where I don’t know exactly where it ends or what I’ll find. When the sounds of the world disappear, I only hear the crunch of my steps. I also hear the rush of water, wind, or leaves. Then I settle into my body in a way that makes everything else fade out. Whether it’s a steep climb or a gentle creek side path, I lose track of time. I become one with the woods.

    Rock hounding is something I love. I will spend hours hunched over riverbanks, dry creeks, or piles of rock debris. I’m always searching for a glimmer of something hidden. The longer I stay, the more I see, and the more I see, the more I want to keep going. It’s never really about the end result. It’s about the process of looking. Honestly, it really is about the small discoveries. It’s about that quiet rush when I find something beautiful that the earth tucked away for me to notice.

    Exploring towns pulls me in. Forgotten roadside stops capture my interest. Waterfalls are equally compelling. Just wandering through places with history or color captivates me in the same way. I like stumbling into things I didn’t plan on. Murals, statues, old buildings, chalk art, or just a view I didn’t expect. When I’m on foot in an unfamiliar place, I usually don’t check the time. I only do so if it’s necessary.

    Then there’s the creative side of me that gets lost too. Writing poetry, making zines, laying out pages or trying to pull together themes for a collection. This takes me out of everything. I blink, and four hours have passed. I’ll go back and read something I don’t even remember writing. That space of creating is one of the few places I feel like I can just exist without pressure. It’s just me and the page. Me and the words. And that feels safe.

    When I lose track of time, it typically means I’m doing something I actually care about. Something that connects me to myself or the world in a way that feels grounding or real. I don’t think losing track of time is a bad thing. I think it’s one of the few times I’m fully here.

    And I need that.

    I think we all do.

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  • Day 4 Adventures: Pinball, Chalk Art, Bears & Froyo | Appalachian Fun

    Day 4 Adventures: Pinball, Chalk Art, Bears & Froyo | Appalachian Fun

    Day 4 in Hendersonville, North Carolina was a slower, more relaxed day than the earlier ones. Honestly, I slept in much later than expected. The trip had caught up with me, and I was completely wiped out. Sometimes travel exhaustion hits hard, and you just have to honor that. I even slept til 6 pm on day 6, my sister had to go to work. I was planning to go off the grid. But, I don’t have Luna with me. I was afraid to do it alone.

    Once I finally got moving, the day turned into a laid-back exploration of some of Hendersonville’s coolest local spots.

    Jade on the left Axton o the right in the Hendersonville, North Carolina Appalachian Pinball Museum.
    At the pinball museum

    We started with the Appalachian Pinball Museum, which felt like stepping into a retro time capsule. There’s something so satisfying about the sound of vintage pinball machines clacking and bouncing. This space brought back so many memories and gave the day a nostalgic, playful energy. 13 dollars all day free play $1 sodas how can you beat that.

    Afterward, we wandered the streets, admiring the vibrant chalk art murals and sidewalk drawings scattered throughout town. These little pop-up galleries of color and creativity brought unexpected brightness to ordinary sidewalks. They turned our walk into a visual adventure.

    Painted blue and purple bear statue in Hendersonville, North Carolina

    One of my favorite discoveries were the painted bear statues peppered throughout Hendersonville. Each bear has a unique design and personality. They had some whimsical, others bold and abstract. Seeing them all around town gave the place a quirky feel. It felt welcoming, like the city itself is giving you a friendly nod.

    Frozen yougurt

    To cap off the day, we stopped at Sweet Frog for some delicious frozen yogurt. After the slow start, the frozen yogurt felt like the perfect little reward, sweet and refreshing. It was just what we needed to keep the daylight and fun.

    Videos and Journals:

    I’ve been uploading videos for each day the day after they happen. If you want to see Day 4 in motion, you can check out my TikTok. It includes everything from pinball flips to colorful chalk and painted bears. My Instagram also has these highlights. You can also check my other socials. (@Poeaxtry_). I love sharing those moments because they bring the places to life beyond words.

    The more detailed hiking and adventure journal posts usually come either the morning or night after the day’s adventures. I can take a little time to think. I organize my thoughts. I write from a fresh but still vivid perspective.

    What’s next?

    Day 5 videos already up (this post is late) full of waterfalls, quiet nature, and sunsets. Thanks for tracking along on this trip. Thank you for being part of the journey even from afar. I appreciate you letting me share these small but meaningful moments.

  • The Collar We Carried: A Rainbow Bridge Day in Lake Lure

    Today wasn’t about checking off a hike or chasing a view. It was about carrying something that mattered and, then, choosing to leave it behind.

    Lake Lore's New Rainbow Bridge sign After hurricane Helene
    Placingmy mom's dogs collar on Lake Lure's new Rainbow bridge

    We started at the newly rebuilt Rainbow Bridge in Lake Lure. The lake is low right now. It is almost emptied out in parts. The road between it and Chimney Rock is brand new. The whole region is still healing water, roads, foundations. But someone rebuilt that bridge on purpose. Someone made it soft, intentional, open.

    We brought our mom’s dog’s collar with us. We walked to the bridge, took our time, and tied it gently to the rail. And we talked. Out loud. Not just about the dog, but about the years. About what the collar held, what it represented. It was small, but it held weight. And letting it go there didn’t feel like loss. It felt like care.

    Old Highway Bridge Saluda, North Carolina

    Afterward, my sister took us somewhere I’d never even seen before: an old highway bridge in Saluda, North Carolina. She just said, “I think you’ll like it.” And she was right. It was broken and quiet, the type of structure that doesn’t ask for attention but still holds your eye. We got out and climbed around some nearby, and in the hillside, we found crystals. They were sharp and half-buried. We dug them out by hand. It felt like something the earth was offering back.

    Sign at Jump off rock western North Carolina

    Our final stop was Standing Rock, where the air felt thinner and everything stretched out in front of us. We stood together. It wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t light, either. Yet, it was beautiful.

    We didn’t plan to do all that. We just followed where the day took us. The roads we took through flood-scarred towns hurt in a way I didn’t expect. It led us to a memory we hadn’t made yet. We didn’t come back with much. Just crystals. Just peace. The collar stayed on the bridge. But what it meant stayed with us.

    The view from on top of Jump Off Rock in Western North Carolina

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  • 10 Things I Know to Be Absolutely Certain (Even If the World Disagrees)

    10 Things I Know to Be Absolutely Certain (Even If the World Disagrees)

    List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

    10 Things I Know to Be Absolutely Certain

    The world is full of noise. People act like they’ve got it all figured out. They pretend certainty is something you can buy, Google, or fake your way into. But real certainty doesn’t come easy. It comes from surviving things that should’ve broken you. It comes from loving hard and losing even harder. It comes from walking through the same fire twice and still choosing to fight for something better. These aren’t opinions I’m floating out to debate. These are truths I’ve earned, and they’re not going anywhere.

    1. I’ll miss my mom forever. She was my best friend.

    Grief doesn’t shrink with time. It just learns how to sit quieter in the room. My mom wasn’t just a parent. She was my anchor. My favorite person. My best friend. When the world went sideways, she was the one I called. Now that she’s gone, the silence where her voice used to be is deafening. Missing her is permanent, but so is her impact. She taught me how to be real. She showed me how to love with everything I have in me. My mom always encouraged me to keep going even when I feel like I can’t. That love doesn’t disappear. It just shifts into a new forever one.

    2. All humans are equal, no matter their socioeconomic status.

    I don’t care if someone’s living in a penthouse or sleeping in their car. People are people. Period. Worth isn’t tied to a paycheck, an address, or a resume. It’s wild that we still have to say this. This society is obsessed with pretending some lives matter more because they’re richer. People think cleaner or more “put together” lives are more important. That’s bullshit. Struggle doesn’t make someone less human, and success doesn’t make someone superior. Every person deserves dignity, not because they earned it, but because they exist.

    3. I love the outdoors. Give me a trail and a dog, the all trails app, and I’m set.

    Nature is my peace. The second I step onto a trail, even a short one, something shifts in me. I breathe deeper. I move freer. Add a dog to that and it’s basically therapy. I don’t need fancy plans. Just give me access to All Trails, a pair of beat-up shoes, and a four-legged companion, and I’m good. There’s something healing about watching the world do its thing without us. Trees growing, rivers moving, birds calling out like nothing’s wrong. It reminds me there’s still beauty, still quiet, still reasons to keep going.

    4. The world doesn’t have to be like this. Everyone fighting for a crumb of the crust.

    This system? It’s not broken. It was built like this. Built to pit us against each other while a handful of people hoard the loaf. But that’s not how things have to be. We’ve been tricked into thinking there’s no other options, that this toxic hustle and scarcity mindset is just life. But it’s not. We can build something better. We can share more, care more, unlearn this survival-of-the-cruelest nonsense, and remember how to exist in community, not competition. All people deserve more than scraps.

    5. It’s very possible to not like either side of the U.S. government.

    It’s wild how people act like criticizing both major political parties makes you some form of traitor. I’m not here to support any side that lies. I won’t cheer for those who manipulate. I refuse to back those who sell out the people they’re supposed to serve. Propaganda exists everywhere. It just wears different colors depending on the channel. You can call out bullshit from all sides without being “uninformed” or “indecisive.” Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is refuse to play the rigged game at all.

    6. Dogs are better company than most people.

    Dogs don’t lie. They don’t scheme. They don’t pretend to be your friend while secretly rooting for your downfall. Dogs love honestly and without ego. They care when you’re hurting, even if they don’t know why. They don’t need explanations. They just show up. There’s something about that presence that makes you feel safe in a way most people can’t match. I’ll take a dog’s loyalty over a human’s performative empathy any day.

    7. The thrill is always worth the risk.

    Chasing a view requires sore legs and scraped hands. Making a life decision scares you half to death. If it makes your heart beat faster, it’s worth taking the risk. It’s probably worth it. That fight to get there. That doubt you have to push through. A quiet moment at the top where it all comes together. That’s what makes it real. The joy doesn’t come easy, but that’s why it matters. I’d rather risk it and live fully than play it safe and feel nothing at all.

    8. College degrees don’t measure intelligence or creativity.

    You can’t teach vision. You can’t grade lived experience. I’ve seen some of the most brilliant people get dismissed because they don’t have letters after their name. Some of the most useless ideas get celebrated because someone paid tuition. Don’t get me wrong, education can be valuable, but it’s not the only way. It’s definitely not the only proof of worth. Some of the smartest people I know are autodidacts, survivors, creators. Degrees don’t define genius. Action does.

    9. Family is everything, but I don’t just mean blood.

    Blood ties you to people, but it doesn’t make them your family. Family is who shows up when shit gets real. They see you at your worst and stick around anyway. They know your trauma, your mess, your contradictions, and still call you theirs. I’ve built my own family through friendship, through chosen connection, through shared history and mutual growth. Those bonds? They’re just as sacred. Maybe more so, because they were made by choice, not chance. I do, however, cherish my given family that I decided to keep around.

    10. Google isn’t how you prove research.

    We’ve gotten lazy with facts. Type anything into Google and you’ll find a dozen articles to back it up, true or not. Real research takes more. It takes curiosity, discernment, and effort. It means asking who wrote it, who funded it, and why. It means reading past the headline. Most people don’t go that deep. They just want something to confirm what they already believe. But truth doesn’t live in echo chambers. It lives in the uncomfortable space between easy answers and actual effort.

    These aren’t just passing thoughts. They’re part of me. They’ve been earned through grief, joy, clarity, and chaos. You don’t need everyone to agree with what you know in your bones. You just need to hold onto it when the world tries to convince you otherwise. So this is me holding firm. These are the things I know to be absolutely certain. And that’s enough.

  • Three Falls in One Day: Bridal Veil, Dry Falls & Triple Falls

    Three Falls in One Day: Bridal Veil, Dry Falls & Triple Falls

    Feet in the water at triple falls.
    Axton in gray shirt, blue shorts and standing in a cave by the road.
    Take me back RIGHT NOW.

    Yesterday was a waterfall day. North Carolina left nothing to be desired.

    Bridal Veil Falls, North Carolina

    We hit Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls, and Triple Falls back to back and somehow, each one felt completely different. The Bridal Veil was soft and strange, like it didn’t quite want to be seen but couldn’t help it. Dry Falls had weight. You get to walk behind it. Even though the mist still found your face, it felt like standing inside power. Then there was Triple Falls was layered, loud, and fast. It didn’t ask permission. It just was. The waterfall offered an awesome opportunity to swim or wade. AND ROCKS!

    I’ve hiked a lot of places, but, something about the mountains in North Carolina is different. Like you’re not just watching water and rocks. You’re watching time. Energy. Release.

    The rocks at the base of Bridal Veil Falls

    There’s always something about that final moment when you stop moving and just look. That one view that makes your whole body quiet. It’s like the world steps back for you. Even just for a minute.

    Dry falls North Carolina

    And that’s what this day gave me. A minute. Three times over.

    I’ll remember the sound of each one differently. The feel of the mist. The angle of the rocks. The way I kept turning around just to see it again. I’ll remember the way the road twisted before the first fall came into view. How you never really know what it’s going to look like until you’re right up on it.

    That’s what I’m chasing in life.

    This was only just day 2 of my totally awesome vacation!

  • Between the Safe and the Wild: What Are You Chasing?

    Between the Safe and the Wild: What Are You Chasing?

    Are you seeking security or adventure?

    Axton Mitchell, summer 2024, Munising, Michigan Waterfalls
    Axton N.O. Mitchell Summer 2024 Munising, Michigan

    Adventure. Always. I’m not here for the safest route. I’m here for the one that makes me feel something. I live in Ohio, and while I haven’t explored every inch of Hocking Hills, I go there a lot. It’s familiar in a way that still surprises me. The cliffs and trails change every time. Their appearance depends on the season, the weather, or the way I showed up that day.

    A man and his dog sitting on Coopers rock.

    I’ve stood under waterfalls in Michigan, North Carolina, and all across Ohio. I’ve seen a lot in West Virginia too. I’m chasing the sound that drowns everything else out. Just today, I hiked out to a bridge in Saluda, North Carolina? To take a photo. It wasn’t long, extreme, or even all that remote. But it still gave me that feeling I’m always after: the “you had to be there” moment. That’s the shit adventure I crave. The quiet, personal, and absolutely necessary. There were also a lot of gems and crystals around this bridge. Score x2!

    Triple Falls

    I’ve added, North Carolina, to the list just this week. Two days ago, I climbed a fire tower alone. I watched the trees stretch out like they had something to say. There’s clarity I only find on the trail. The best is always on hikes with waterfalls and views, the kind that make you work for it. The kind where your legs burn. Your back aches. But it’s all worth it when the trail opens up. There’s nothing but space in front of you.

    Summer 2022 Axton Mitchell Hocking Hills, Logan, Ohio
    Axton N.O. Mitchell Summer 2022 Hocking Hills, Ohio

    I dream about hiking to the base of Half Dome. I want to see the desert waves in Arizona. I want to be swallowed up in the fog and forests of the Pacific Northwest (around Seattle and Portland.) I want to take the lesser-known routes too. The trail that passes under the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. The guided hike through Black Water Falls with the swinging bridges.

    Security is stillness. Adventure is movement. It doesn’t have to be chaos but, it has to be ahead. Sometimes that means turning off the main road. Sometimes it means stopping just to look. I don’t know exactly where I’m headed, but I do know I want to keep moving. Not for the thrill, but for the truth I only ever find out there.

    Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, Bridal Veil Falls in the Distance, Clear Blue Sky, Lake Superior appearing unmoving ,
  • Who Is Poeaxtry_? Authentic Personal Brand, Advocacy & Creativity.

    Who Is Poeaxtry_? Authentic Personal Brand, Advocacy & Creativity.

    Interviewing Myself: Who Am I?

    Q: What are you about?

    I stand for empathy, kindness, and radical inclusion. I fight for the right to be different and believe every human deserves equality and respect. My morals are rooted in advocacy and dismantling discrimination in all its ugly forms. I was 7 years old. I first remember my mom explaining to me why I shouldn’t treat her clients differently. & from that moment on, I knew bullying was wrong. That is truly sad when you think about the time some of you learned this.

    Q: What hobbies and interests fuel you?

    Poetry, rock hounding, rock tumbling, spell crafting, hiking, kayaking, camping, fishing, and so much more. I thrive in creative flow and nature’s raw energy. I excel in the heat and dirt; when sweat is covering my hair and shirt.

    Q: Outside writing and creating, what excites you?

    Swim, kayak, hang out with my doggy and the kitties. Witchcraft, reading, and playing video games.

    Q: What are you definitely not about?

    Bullies, especially adult ones. Racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, fascism. You know what, actually, fuck all phobias and ism bullshit and those who embody them. I can’t stand the cold; meaning the air and your tude.

    Q: What adjectives do not describe you?

    Quiet, boring, afraid. Just to name a few.

    Q: What don’t you want people to think about you?

    That I’m someone who tolerates inequality or doesn’t fight for the rights of everyone in humanity. I have always been one to know all humanity is equal and deserving I’d hate someone think the opposite.

    Q: What are your defining characteristics?

    Empathy, kindness, and the ability to include and uplift everyone. My loud ass mouth and my yellow ass attitude.

    Q: What do friends and family say about you?

    They call me hyper, loved, soft, a golden retriever, a good man, poetic, passionate, and an advocate. Someone who they can depend on.

    Q: What are your core values?

    Advocacy for policies that protect human rights, commitment to dismantling discrimination, activism, and honoring the diversity of human experience.

    Q: What causes matter most to you?

    Human rights, abortion access, marriage equality, healthcare justice, and the fight against harmful legislation as a whole. Ending the bullshit minorities are facing from Gaza to Ukraine and back to The USA.

    Q: Are these central to your brand and goals?

    Absolutely. I wouldn’t be me and my brand wouldn’t be by me if it weren’t. Would it?

    Q: What’s unique about you?

    I was a boy with boobies. I have a serious vitamin D deficiency. It makes me take a boatload of supplements. The creator forgot my other D too. So the struggle is real.

    Q: What are your short-term and long-term goals?

    Short-term: Keep creating new solo and collaborative projects, and grow my community.

    Long-term: Build a name and a publishing press that uplifts minorities and pays them fairly for their incredible work.

    Q: What are your strengths?

    I lead with empathy. While I hold space for grief, rage, softness, and transformation. I’m an advocate, especially for those who are silenced, overlooked, or underestimated. My creativity is wide-reaching and adaptable. I’m deeply intuitive. I connect dots most people miss. I build community in a way that makes people feel like they belong. I live my life with resilience, knowing I can be the storm or the calm sky. And more. Always more.

    Q: Is there one thing you do exceptionally well?

    Yeah. I take chaos and turn it into clarity. Whether it’s through a poem, a piece of handmade rock art, or helping someone feel seen. I try to take the raw, messy, painful stuff and turn it into something honest, haunting, and healing. And sometimes even beautiful.

    Q: What impact do you want to make?

    I want to foster real change. I want people to see me. I want them to realize, “Hey, I know someone trans.” There are more of us than you think, even if you don’t see us. Passing doesn’t matter, visibility does. Just because you don’t know every trans person is trans doesn’t make us exist any less.

    Q: Do your personal and business brands overlap?

    Completely. In more ways than one. I couldn’t think of business model names or my future platforms because I just incorporate all of me.

    Q: Why are you building a personal brand?

    To foster change, help others, and bring my authentic self and community together.

    Q: Are you breaking into the creator economy?

    Hell yes. I can only hope.

    Q: Are you building a business, a product, or a space?

    All of it of course. I have a business, products, and a space for connection and growth.

    Q: Are you creating a professional image to secure funding or partnerships?

    I hope so, but mostly to help and uplift others.

    Q: How will you create unique value for your audience?

    A: By blending literature, identity, and honesty into interactive work. My poetry, zines, e-books, and collaboration projects with meaning. I don’t just share; I connect. I create spaces where people feel seen, and remind them that their voice matters. While also giving them a place to share and a platform to publish on.

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  • Sliding, Climbing, and Letting Go: Blue Ridge Journal – July 12, 2025

    Sliding, Climbing, and Letting Go: Blue Ridge Journal – July 12, 2025

    🥾 Hiking Journal – Saturday, July 12th, 2025

    looking glass falls WNC
    Looking glass falls

    Blue Ridge Parkway Mountains, NC (I wish I was able to just exist in the beauty I’ve seen here.)

    Weather: Mid-80s, humid, but who’s keeping track when there’s a waterfall involved?

    Companions: No Luna (she’s home with her mom), just me and my sister. Even though she did ditch me halfway up a watchtower like a lil traitor. Like the time we were younger with the beer. Sorry Jenna for blaming you until last year. 😂

    🌊 Looking Glass Falls: 10/10. It is perfect for the days you can’t imagine hiking to the spot. You want to cool off in such places.

    Jade (my sister) and I in front of Looking glass falls on the road

    So any way it is right off the road and somehow still feels like magic. Crowded as hell, yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

    I didn’t swim because there were too many humans. Honestly, with my shoulder and collarbone in the shape they are, I didn’t want to risk it. It looked like a lot of work was needed to swim there. I did get my feet wet and snapped some solid shots. The rock hounding opportunity here seems large. The colors are wild. It’s as if nature said “watch this” and actually did something cool. There’s a shit ton of mica in this area, so everything’s kissed with glitter. Though I do know this area in North Carolina is said to be a dream for rockhounds.

    Jade and I

    10/10 would recommend. Doesn’t even matter how packed it is, just go. If you’re close enough to do it. It is worth it because unlike Ohio here they allow you to swim at most the waterfalls it seems. Wherever you want pretty much, if there’s water, to enjoy as long as it’s not privately owned.

    🔥 Frying pan Mountain Lookout Tower

    Okay. First time ever getting to the top of a real fire tower. It is different from that half-a-tower in Ohio that was closed. Ariel Park’s little teaser one scared Luna when we went. I never quite made it back there too.

    This? This was the real deal. It moves like, sways-in-the-wind, “is this thing going to fall?” kind of moves. But I made it up. Alone.

    The hill up to frying pan fire tower

    Duck to get down, and under the door. While I try not to overthink the physics, and enjoy the view.

    My lovely sister turned back halfway. Claimed she “already did it once.” 🙄 Whatever.

    View: 10/10. Worth it, even if I had fallen to my dramatic death.

    the view from the top

    Also, note: my sister did admit she was scared. Said she’d already done it before and figured I should get my solo moment. Still, many eye rolls. 😒

    On the climb up, we found those weird blue rocks along the roadside, where the azurite vs. spray paint debate began. Whole day was giving side quests.

    And at the top?

    🛝 Sliding Rock

    Sister said it’s usually locked up, but it was opened inside today, and they were in there cleaning too. Kinda makes me wonder what they’re planning — I saw online that some towers get turned into Airbnbs or rentals. I would totally live in one if I didn’t have to take those same stairs every time.

    We did it. We slid. Three times.

    Sliding Rock Parking lot sign, brown, sign, green trees. Sign also warns of cold.

    She only came because I hadn’t been yet… then she was the one yelling “Again! Again!” like it was a carnival ride.

    If we’d had more than an hour ’til close? We’d probably still be there sliding right now.

    Water was straight-up glacial. Like Lake Superior-level cold. Maybe worse. Still fun.

    🪨 Bonus Rock Nerd Notes

    You can’t smoke on my sister’s apartment property (🙄), so I’ve been banished to the gravel area behind the lot. But turns out?

    Pretty gravel.

    Some quartz, definitely. Some mica sparkle everywhere. Found some wild black and orange specks. Discovered some blue rocks, too Google says azurite. I say: might be spray paint. Still picked it up. Some have coppery streaks, so… maybe? Either way, funny or cool. North Carolina gravel is mysterious and dramatic, just like I like it.

    🗺️ Coming Up

    Tomorrow: Chill day. Might sneak out for a few solo peeks 👀 Monday: Cummins Falls, TN finally! After that: more Blue Ridge wanderings, mica hunts, and sparkly rock sleuthing.

    Final Thoughts

    Mountain water: colder than my patience.

    Sliding Rock: better than a theme park.

    Fire towers: wobbly nightmares with perfect views.

    Sister: mildly traitorous, but redeemed herself on the slides.

    Mica: everywhere.

    Blue spray-paint rock: iconic regardless.

    This whole region? Vibes unmatched.

    Going up that tower felt exactly like climbing a sync point in Assassin’s Creed or one of those fire towers in Far Cry. My brain was glitching, but the view? Totally worth the XP boost.

    Also I did indeed do all this in Nike slides. My shoes were in the car, and I kept saying I need to switch them. Then forgetting again.