Campfire Introductions

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...” ― John Muir


Well, hello there!

Thank you for stopping by my online base camp! Since we are both new here, I suppose I should introduce myself. Everyone knows me by the name Dollie. I created somewhat of a name for myself online as "The Rockabilly Socialite". Up until this point I have been known as a 1950's obsessed girly-girl who spends her days shopping for vintage goodies and nights listening to live rockabilly bands at bars. While that is mostly true, I sometimes find this life overwhelming, materialistic and petty. When this happens I have the urge to run off into the woods and hide.

I have been hiking, camping and backpacking with my husband Zack for the last seven years now, and I have found a part of myself that I never knew existed before. With every passing day, as my life becomes more and more convoluted, I find this urge within myself becoming harder to confine. Everyday I sit in my cubical at work and daydream of being outdoors while fighting the impulse to leave my former life behind and become a "super tramp". I have fought this feeling for so long with no one other than my husband to share them with. I am beginning to feel like I have split personalities: one with a deep seeded love of rockabilly subculture and another who doesn't give a damn about anything except for being one with nature.

Recently I was on the edge of having a nervous breakdown after filming for a show on TLC about being a perfect "1950's woman," getting a promotion at my high-stress day job, and getting married all in the course of the past few months. I knew the only thing to do was to pack up my husband and dog (I forgot to add that we just got a puppy as well) and run off into the woods. While on this weekend trip I decided that I would start this blog as a way for me to express my nature loving side that I often have to hide. My trail name is "backpacking Bettie" and is a good example of how I try (with varying degrees of success) to join my love of rockabilly with my love of the outdoors. I don't know of anyone else in the world who shares these two interests with me, but if anyone is out there I would love to meet them! If anything, this is a way for me to make my mark on the backpacking world. Girly-girls are under-represented in the outdoors arena. I believe that there is a special nitch for everyone to fit into and I am just trying to find mine.

I hope this blog will help me get in touch with my "wild side" and help me meet some outdoorsy friends to share this side of my personality with.

Thanks for strolling by,

Dollie the Backpacking Bettie