Katie Mayo
Human-nature connection aficionada
About me
You could say I’m a human-nature connection aficionada 🙂
In part it’s because I’m a climber, so I have seen first hand how important the human-nature connection is. Connecting more with the natural world cured my insomnia, for example.
But it’s also because I have spent my free time reading books about psychology, health, society, and nature. And they all seem to convene on the idea that things are better (on many metrics) if we collectively are more in tune with nature.
What is important to me
“Climb-it”
I climb because I like to get on top of things. So I boulder & trad climb and enjoy the process of wandering.
Rock climbing can seem a little ridiculous to some, but it has become more and more sacred to me over the years.
Climbing movement is beautiful. The self-knowledge born out of the struggle to send is meaningful and satisfying. The connection climbing facilitates between me and nature feels spiritual. I experience the community as supportive. And I never run out of something to learn from the rock, my partners, or the struggle.
Climate
Because of the importance of the human-nature connection in my life, I have focused my career in recent years on climate related projects.
In 2020, I evacuated from Rishikesh, India, and had been admitted to graduate school. I had only applied to appease my parents while I traveled for a year. But fate had other plans, and the global pandemic meant that I found myself, an anti-consumerist member of society, in business school.
I think that works out for the best, though, and I learned quite a bit from my courses, classmates, and professors. I would not call myself a degrowth-er, and I do not expect consumerism to evaporate overnight (or at all).
But I think we can run business and society better. And it is something I like to think and write about quite a bit. So this is my yearbook of wanders (mostly climbing related) and the wondering my frolicking has fueled (mostly climate related).
“It is difficult to love something when we don’t have a relationship with it.” – David R. Loy, in his essay Ecodharma: Loving the world as Our Own Body
Check out my latest climbing related posts
- My first trad climbing rack – let me show you my gear
Here’s the background on how I bought my first trad rack, why I chose what I chose, and what I would do if I were to do it over, knowing what I know now. - Seven Spanish Angels: How I learned to project (boulders)
When I started trying Seven Spanish Angels, it was my first season of outdoor bouldering. And I was starting off in the “big leagues” by… Read more: Seven Spanish Angels: How I learned to project (boulders) - The most aesthetic choss factory: climbing at Temple Crag California
A personal story about backpacking in Big Pine, CA and rock climbing at Temple Crag California. - Full value, fancy, alpine climbing in the Bugaboos
The inspo After climbing Mt. Whitney last year in a group of four, two of us hatched a plan to go even bigger this year.… Read more: Full value, fancy, alpine climbing in the Bugaboos - Mt. Emerson
“The civility of no race can be perfect whilst another race is degraded.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Mt. Emerson is a peak on the Bishop skyline… Read more: Mt. Emerson - Entering my #vanlife era: solo female vanlife in the sierra
It’s official… I’m a #vanlifer now. My time as a “real” dirtbag is done! After a year and a half living out of my CRV… Read more: Entering my #vanlife era: solo female vanlife in the sierra - Dirtbagging. Living the cozy #crvlife
Living in a car to climb. AKA dirtbagging For the better part of the past 1 year, I’ve been living in my 2011 Honda CRV.… Read more: Dirtbagging. Living the cozy #crvlife - My first “epic”: climbing the grand teton
The day ended with me hallucinating. Oh, and it lasted a full 24 hours. As two parties of two, we successfully summited the Grand Teton… Read more: My first “epic”: climbing the grand teton