Welcome to my Moonbox: a gathering of musings, learnings, and aspirations held (perhaps, sometimes only briefly) by the many expressions of me, Sarita.
From the road:
crow in the dawn on the road meat like watermelon pulp in the sun road as dark river aglow with melon light crow does as soil makers do this slow but hallowed gathering of souls
eyelash on the wrist desert granite domes bodyward shadows, sharp branching gusts of footsteps rolling grains of sand what sounds of heaven what chaos in the domes as I leap the hills of ants
The squirrels scale the trees, prune acorns or pine needles, sometimes old twigs. All these things sail down to the ground. They touch. They toss themselves like an acrobat, back arching, tails curling momentum. The squirrels roam the slope, knead through soil, leaves, duff. Bury, unbury. They garden. They nurse. They take care.
Life updates: It’s been a busy Fall! In the last Moonbox Notes, I mentioned an event I was selected to attend with Merrell. Well, I went and ended up landing a contract with the brand! That’s right, in 2024, I am going to officially be a professional runner. AHH! I’m really excited to see how the year will pan out.
[Related: Moonbox Notes #18]
I launched my fundraiser for ReNew Earth Running in October. I traveled through regions of Southern California, visited friends and family, and I’d like to ask you to do a few things:
-Read this article about Phillip Kaw’han Espinoza. You can follow him on social media here.
–Read about my fundraiser and donate!
To summarize what I’ve accomplished (in terms of running) thus far, I set 4 FastestKnownTimes and have participated in one short road race in a span of a month. My fundraiser will culminate with my participation in the Colossal Vail 50/50 trail race on December 2nd. I signed up for the 55k and am really excited to meet up with ReNew Earth Running teammates! We will have people partaking in all three of the event distances. It’ll be a blast. Follow along on my Instagram or on the RER Instagram.
La Vida Mundial:
If you’re looking for another newsletter/substack to read, I highly recommend Leslie Sam Kim’s Same Human Being Newsletter. Her life ponderings and lessons learned, particularly from her practice of Budo Taijutsu, are really interesting and, often, poetic.
In the frightening outdoor news department:
Climbing Magazine: Portland Man Arrested, Accused of Planning to Kill Multiple Climbers
Trail Runner Mag: Mont Blanc is Shrinking
In the positive outdoor news department:
GoodGoodGood: 22 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
GearJunkie: Reading, Writing, and Riding! ‘Strong Girl Publishing’ Brings More Sports Books for Women
HBD to all Oct/Nov birthdays!
Recent Top Pick Reads:
+ “Inside story: the San Quentin prison marathon,” by David Smyth, Runners World, News, Sept 27, 2023. An article that talks about the documentary, 26.2 to Life, and about the context, history, and all that goes into the rehabilitative 1,000 Mile Club of the San Quentin prison.
+ “Coyote Story,” by CMarie Fuhrman, Emergence Magazine, Jul 13, 2020. An essay that also has an audio reading by the author. Fuhrman contemplates dual identities and modes of living in the world, as both colonized and colonizer, in the context of having once found a coyote held by a trap on a prairie.
+ “The Antelope Canyon X Half Marathon is About More Than The Numbers,” by Micah Ling, Trail Runner, Outside Online, Oct 9, 2023. A dive into the history, context, and celebrations surrounding this unique Half Marathon, which I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of participating in myself. Plus, my ReNew Earth Running teammate Sergio Avila is interviewed for this article!
+ “A Monumental Challenge: Running Across Generations to Raise Grand Canyon Awareness,” by Luke Marshall, Kahtoola Stories, Nov 1, 2023. Navajo ultrarunner Eli Neztsosie crosses the Grand Canyon four times with inspiration from the National Monument designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, and to raise awareness of the sacredness of the canyon.
Books/Mags in progress:
+ The Hundred-Year Flood by Matthew Salesses
Recent Listens/Watchings:
+ “Restoring Tribal Tending of Black Oaks in Yosemite Valley,” Denizens of the Deep Ocean & Universe, YouTube, Black Oak Tribal Stewardship, Oct 6, 2023. A short film made by tribal filmmakers, Tisina Parker and Matthew Falcon, and funded by the Yosemite Conservancy to talk about traditional ways of caretaking for the iconic black oaks of Yosemite.
+ “Daughter of the Sea: Sisterhood in the Sea,” Patagonia Films, YouTube, Jun 1, 2023. A short documentary about the sacred sisterhood of the haenyeo, a group of free divers and fisherwomen who gather food from the depths of the ocean. Jaeyoun Kim shares her journey through depression and suicidal ideation, which ultimately led her back to a traditional place of healing: the ocean.
+ “Soñadora,” Protect Our Winters, YouTube, Oct 26, 2023. A short film, featuring Vanessa Chavarriaga, talks about immigration, culture, memory, the in-between, and love for la tierra. Too, the cinematography helps highlight the beautiful “mesh” of people and land.
+ “Nikki Hiltz – A Champion,” The RUN EAT SLEEP Show with Tommie Runz, Episode 107, Nov 12, 2023. A really great conversation about being true to oneself, about racing and the gaze of the world, and about Nikki’s journey toward embracing being non-binary, advocacy, and setting a world record.
Writing/Projects: (updates are highlighted)
+My online writing course with Orion Magazine, “Writing Resilience through Our Relationship with Wildness,” taught by poet CMarie Fuhrman, began in October and will meet weekly for 6 weeks.
+I currently have zero general submissions in the ether. The previously published essay I had submitted to an essay contest (where this was allowed) did not win anything.
+The hybrid essay/memoir I wrote in 2021, “Chuckwalla,” still needs some major revision before I consider submitting again. I’ve begun another research/writing phase as well.
+I have a Science Fiction novella that I’ve been slowly working on since 2017.
MISC/Brags:
- Did I mention you should donate to my fundraiser?! Help me reach $600!
Thanks for tuning in to Sarita’s Moonbox.
Happy Fall!
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