A little update on life currently including this summer, school, work, and personal growth.
Read moreVisiting my Roots
I’m going home, not to stay, but to visit. I am so excited to be back in the mountains, in the snow, and sunshine. I can’t wait to go skiing and exploring in the winter wonderland that I’m blessed to call home.
As much as I am excited though I am nervous, nervous because I’ve changed and home has changed too. Not in bad ways, we’ve just changed. The streets I grew up roaming have seen thousands of other people pass by since I last rambled down them. The places I used to run and hike with my dog everyday have held countless other adventures for other people. The homes I lived in and made my own through out the years have sheltered many other college kids and ski bums by now. The places I used to work surely have brand new shining faces, and probably not a trace of me left…and that is all perfectly fine. I know this is a part of life, things change, people move on, and nothing really ever stays the same.
But home just feels like it should. I guess that’s the thing about home though, it’s not really a place. My self, animals, and man are what make my home, no matter where I go. So I guess I’m really going back to my roots, and that is incredibly amazing and terrifying still, but somehow easier to deal with…if that makes any sense.
I am so excited to get back to my roots, to ski my favorite runs with my favorite partners (mostly my family), I am excited to eat good food and smoke some dank ColoRADo weed. I can’t wait to fill my heart up with love, my mind with peace and memories and my lungs with good smoke. I am excited to take some time to myself and reset, refuel, recharge, and hopefully create. I love the calm that the mountains bring. I can’t wait to soak up my family’s love and good energy. I’m hoping for some good ole Colorado sunshine to bask in and some delicious powder to slash turns through. Fingers crossed!
Mostly I’m just excited to be going back to the place that raised me for 22 years, to be where I feel strong, and protected. A place where I know no matter how long or far I go, the tribe will always have my back. No matter what I choose to do or where I choose to roam this place will always hold my heart and my roots, deep in the heart of the Elk Mountains. I am so grateful for that and blessed to be born of the Mountains, to be apart of that wild tribe.
As John Denver eloquently once said “Mountain Mama, take me home, country roads…”
Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned!
(p.s. If anyone wants to create, sesh, adventure, or chill, let me know!!)
A Year of Growth
It’s been 365 days of sunrises and sunsets in Washington. A year, a long, crazy year of insane change, growth, lessons, and opportunities, a year I am so incredibly thankful for, but also extremely glad to have behind me. It was a long year filled with obstacles, lessons, and change, an extremely necessary year at that. Last year when I left home I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew I would be working with weed, and stoners. I knew I wanted to work on my self and my cannabis education website. I knew I wanted to nourish my relationship and my fur babies and make them as happy as possible. I didn’t anticipate how hard it all would be at times…
Somewhere in there I lost myself, I don’t know if it was the endlessly dark winter that I was unprepared for or the lack of purpose I felt in a lot of aspects of my life. But I got myself stuck in a deep hole, I hate to call it depression because I know people who have had a much harder time than me, people I have lost because they thought there was no other way. I have even had it worse than this, being sick at such a young age gave me a sort of stupid confidence, if I got through that…I can get through anything, even my own shitty mental state.
But this time I got extremely stuck, I was always exhausted and crying, I put my boyfriend and myself through hell too many times to count. I could have anticipated a bit of emotion and difficulty adjusting…I thought I was prepared to figure it out, and I thought I was going to share it with you all. I anticipated it being ugly, weird, and uncomfortable. I knew it was going to be different and maybe a little too raw. I thought I was going to be ok with all of this, just like it had always been ok before…I didn’t anticipate my sudden aversion to the camera though. I was not expecting that, for almost 3 years I had been posting on instagram and snapchat, pictures and videos of me ripping bongs, taking dabs, and posing with fat top colas. All the while dealing with everything life threw at me; school, work, stress, pain, insomnia, my cannabis use and productive lifestyle. Suddenly I hated every single picture, every single video. Nothing looked right, I hated my face or the way my hair looked in the middle of a video, the silliest things. Especially since self love and appreciation for the vessel I was given are some of my biggest priorities. But I didn’t like the way I looked, I still don’t a lot of the time, but I’m trying to push past it and get back to my usual self.
My social media content, didn’t suffer from this change necessarily, it just changed, and with that change I feel like I lost touch with a lot of people I had made a connection with and people visiting my page have definitely gotten less of a “full frontal and real” version of me than people who have followed me for years.
My followers know my thoughts and feelings-I’ve taken to posting prose, or passages about life/the day/challenges/strengths-as they come to me. But they don’t know ME, not the way they should. I am determined to fix this. Besides I have tons of followers that support me more than people I know in real life, people I have known my whole life, people I see and talk to daily. So THANK YOU for your support, and I’m sorry you haven’t been getting the fullest version of me. I am remedying that, and hopefully sharing everything I’ve learned along the way.
There are tons of things I’ve learned and done in the last year that I wouldn’t change for the world. I have gotten to explore one of the most naturally beautiful places and create memories I had only dreamed of. I have had some of the most amazing experiences and met some of the most amazing people while living up here in Washington and I determined to explore and create even more. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the opportunities I have been presented with so far.
I am also so incredibly grateful for the reminder that no matter where I am, who I am surrounded by, I am worth every bit of energy I put into myself. My relationship with myself and the love my life, my family, is worth every single second. Without my man and my relationship, his support, and love, I would not be the woman I am. I would not feel strong, or proud. I would only be able to see myself as weak. He shows me the light in the dark, the good in me when I can’t seem to see it in myself. He pushes me to be better, and do better everyday.
I am proud to say I am getting back into a routine of taking care of myself and making my goals a priority again. I am extremely grateful for this year of growth and learning. But I am even more excited for the coming year and all the adventures ahead!
Thank you so much for going on this incredibly crazy journey with me, I appreciate everyone single one of you more than you know!
(I hope you guys are OK with seeing more of my face!)
Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned
Cannabis and Wellness
Cannabis use, in my opinion, is not a recreational activity but a form of wellness; a way of taking care of one’s mental, emotional, and physical well being naturally. Cannabis helps the body maintain homeostasis and keeps each of us healthy, helping regulate body temperature, and digestion among many other vital body processes. Our bodies are made to consume cannabis, to use cannabinoids to our advantage and to keep us healthy.
Working in the Recreational Market in both Colorado and Washington has been somewhat confusing; I have gone back and forth about how I feel about the term “Recreational Cannabis”. The conclusion I have come to…is I really dislike the word “Recreational”. It doesn’t apply to cannabis. All cannabis is in one way or another used as a form of wellness. It may not be purely medicinal, who doesn’t like getting high? But everyone I encounter uses cannabis for one thing or another, to help with appetite, mood, discomfort, sleep, focusing, understanding, studying, socializing and so much more!
Cannabis use spans every generation, from newly 21-year-old “kids” to 95-year-old grandmas and grandpas. Young people use cannabis as much for appetite stimulation, discomfort treatment, social stimulant and sleep aid as they do to unwind and relax at the end of a long busy week. The elderly use it to treat their discomfort, ailments, diseases and also to relax and enjoy life. Everyone in between uses cannabis to aid in daily routine, rest, relaxation and to help enjoy the little things in life. No matter who you are cannabis can help you slow down, gain perspective, take time for yourself and recharge. Cannabis is one of the coolest plants on the planet because of its ability to treat numerous ailments and diseases but also because of its’ power to span the generations. Its ability to bring mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents, friends and coworkers together is so beautiful and powerful. I love seeing families, grandsons and grandpas, moms and daughters, all well over the age of 21, come in and shop together, help each other remember what they liked and disliked and exploring new consumption methods together.
Cannabis use as a wellness tool is very important and understanding it’s use can sometimes be very confusing and difficult. Depending on previous experience many do not know much about the many benefits and wide variety of uses of cannabis. I love helping others’ discover and learn more about the amazing and wonderful plant that is cannabis. Being able to help others naturally is one of the most rewarding and wonderful things I have ever had the pleasure of doing. Cannabis use in wellness and whole plant medicine is so extremely important and I love being able to share all this information, endless options, benefits and experiences with all of you!
Stay stoked, Stay stoned!
What is a name?
As some of you may have noticed along with the birth of this website there has been a “name change” to my online persona as well. It’s interesting to me to see the reactions to the change, some haven’t mentioned it, some have commented on it, both good and bad, and either way it doesn’t matter, not really. What is a name anyways? A name isn’t worth anything if the person behind it doesn’t give it substance and life. I started ThatOneMountainGirl on instagram just about 2.5 years ago and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to come from it, all I knew is I wanted a place where I could share my love for cannabis, the cannabis community, my cannabis use and my body without offending people like my conservative grandparents or my partner’s family…it’s not that I was or have ever been ashamed of my cannabis use and the naked body but I also understand that many people, especially people I love, are not in a position to share their interest or appreciation as openly and freely. Appreciation of the cannabis plant and my newly healthy self fueled the creation of this account but I could never have predicted where it would take me
ThatOneMountainGirl was born right after my 3 year long battle with Graves’ Disease, when I was starting to love myself completely again, so I created a safe place to share that love when I felt like it. I also created a place to share my love for cannabis and it’s incredible healing capabilities. Through my instagram I have met so many amazing souls and made friends that I could have never met otherwise. I have had more opportunities than I ever could have imagined and I am happy to say this is just the beginning! About a year ago I dove head first into the cannabis industry and thus began a shift in my goals, plans, and posts, all becoming centered around cannabis use in wellness.
This fall I was telling my extended family about my work in the Cannabis industry and my desire to reach more people and share my knowledge and passion for cannabis beyond instagram and the dispensary. It was my uncle who came up the idea of a website with the name CannabisKlaraty. An emphasis on my industry, the place I now know I belong and desire to make a difference, and my name. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to find myself and create a place to share my passion. I can only hope to bring Klaraty to all your cannabis questions and help others discover this amazing plant. It is my hope to show that you can live a healthy, conscious, productive lifestyle and consume cannabis responsibly. It is not the end of ThatOneMountainGirl by any means, just an evolution and growing into the woman and educator I know I am and am striving everyday to be. I am so excited to see where the next 2.5 years and beyond take me and I couldn’t be more thankful for you all for following along with me!
Stay Stoked and Stoned!
Klaraty (formerly @thatonemountaingirl)
My Cannabis Story
High there! First of all thank you, for taking the time and interest to get here. For being interested in cannabis, for wanting to know more, and lastly for being maybe the tiniest bit interested in me…I figured I would take a second to introduce myself, my story, my cannabis use, history and goals. I hope this blog will provide some insight, and knowledge into the world of cannabis, at least through my perspective. So here goes nothing…
I was born and raised in the last great ski town of Colorado. A beautiful, sleepy little mountain valley was the perfect backdrop for a childhood filled with adventure, playing and learning in the mountains. Born to two die hard ski bums I was on skis before my 2nd birthday, telemark skiing by the 4th grade and competing in big mountain events before my 15th birthday. I was a sponsored, 3x National Champion telemark skier by the age of 17. I graduated highschool early, planned on taking a year off from school to compete, ski and travel and moved to North Carolina for the summer.
By the time I moved home something was different, and wrong…my heart rate was always racing, my hands and legs constantly shook, I got out of breath too easily and I had gained close to 30lbs. After blood tests and doctors visits, we ruled out Parkinsons and MS, and I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, a genetic form of hyperthyroidism. At the age of 18 my world stopped, I was told I could not ski, or even walk more than a block or two at a time. I was put on medication and told to decide between surgery or radiation treatment. My life was a cycle of work and napping, I was always exhausted and my body constantly hurt. Eating became a chore, and I could not for the life of me control my emotions. I was constantly hot and then freezing cold, and anything and everything made me cry. For 2.5 years I took medication, hoping for remission, the whole time without skiing or really working out-per doctors orders. After medication failed I had my thyroid removed and am now happy and healthy. Besides a daily thyroid pill I do not take any medication to help with the rest of my residual symptoms and that is all thanks to cannabis.
Go to virtually any ski town in North America and you will be able to find cannabis, ski bums smoke weed. But growing up with a strict training schedule and never really feeling the need to partake I only smoked once or twice in highschool. I never saw a problem with consumption, much like alcohol and cigarettes why not let people do what they want? And it was baffling that something so common place and renowned was still “illegal”. After being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease I started using cannabis to help with my lack of appetite, insomnia and to regulate body temperature. I also discovered certain strains that helped with my anxiety and crazy emotions. Since getting better I have been able to incorporate cannabis into my daily life to help ease residual symptoms and ski injuries while living a conscious lifestyle. After discovering the many uses of cannabis and how it works for me I was hooked. It didn’t take long for me to decide I had to educate myself and teach myself about this amazing plant and it’s many uses!
Discovering my passion for cannabis lead to the creation of my instagram page, which in turn lead to my work as a cannabis activist. After about a year of advocating locally in my home community, the state of Colorado, and online through various forms of social media, I landed my dream job as a budtender at Rocky Mountain Cannabis in Gunnison Colorado. I also was blessed to work as a growhand for one of the most amazing grows I have personally ever seen. It was and is still one of the most pivotal and important moments in my life. I quit my job as an assistant manager at a coffee shop and walked away from the industry I had been in for 8 years, into the unknown and have not once looked back…All the while exploring and adventuring around our beautiful world. This fall I moved to Washington state and continued to pursue my career in the Cannabis Industry. I am very lucky to be working for an amazing i502 recreational dispensary. I feel so fortunate and lucky to be a part of such an amazing team of budtenders that are dedicated to helping others discover this amazing plant! I can’t wait to see what the future of cannabis holds and am so excited to be apart of it!
It is my hope that this website and the information I share will help others better understand cannabis, the cannabis community, different uses of cannabis, acceptance of cannabis use, feel better naturally and debunk the myth of the “lazy” stoner that society says we are. I can’t wait to share knowledge, adventures and good vibes with all of you wonderful souls! Thank you for reading, feel free to comment, ask questions and provide any feedback you would like!
Stay Stoney!