On Monday, a Denver Post columnist wrote an article about this spring’s first-ever prom at Florence Crittenton High School for teen mothers, and the article elicited negative comments that so upset me that at first I was at a loss for words. I’ve been working on a...
Women’s Empowerment
MOM NEVER TREKKED, BUT SHE ALWAYS HAD GUMPTION – A Mother’s Day Tribute
My mother didn’t raise me, my father’s mother did. He called her Mom, so I thought that was her name. Grampa bought me Dr. Seuss books, but Mom taught me to read them. One of my earliest memories is reading to her, "Hand, hand, fingers, thumb. Dum ditty, Dum ditty,...
A Balloon in My Car – Jolly Detritus from a Women’s Poetry Reading
I am not a poet. This is not humility, false or otherwise, nor is it an excuse, but a simple fact. Yet I appreciate poetry, and every now and then I feel compelled to write a poem, though I have no real idea how. Yesterday I went to a gathering of poets at the Denver...
PAINTING AROUND THE WORLD WITH A TEENAGE DAUGHTER: A Mother-Daughter Trek – by Guest Trekker Judy Edwards
My decision to leave and travel around the world with a 13-year-old was not impulsive but directed. At the time, I hardly realized the impact on everyone who was involved with this journey. The gift of telling the story from my current perspective is interesting in...
WHY THE PRINCESS HIT THE ROAD – A Valentine from An Adventurous Woman
Allow me to share with all of you this valentine to my husband. Dale, you may recall I told you this fairy tale 14 years ago, though it's grown up a bit since then. Happy Valentine's Day to my soul mate, with all my love... Why The Princess Hit The Road by Cara Lopez...
LEARNING TO BREATHE: How Adventure Helped me through a Personal Crisis – by Guest Trekker Kim Kircher
DRESS REHEARSALS Adventures are like dress rehearsals for the real thing. I have spent my life careening from one adventure to the next - always looking for the next big trip to tick off my list. Whether climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking through Bhutan or scuba diving...
PLAYING WITH FIRE – A Woman Lights her Alter Ego in Flames
When I ask my friend Amy Callahan why she became a fire dancer, her amused look seems to say, “Duh, Cara it’s fi-re!” Aloud she says, “I saw some people doing it in a nightclub and I thought it was way cool. At the time, I was into fitness competitions and...
MAKING MOMOS – Kitchen Culture with Nepali Refugees from Bhutan
I once took a cooking class in Thailand, but there’s no need to go that far to experience a foreign culture or learn an exotic dish. I recently learned to make momos, or Nepali dumplings, right here in Denver. My teachers were two Nepali refugees from Bhutan. This was...
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE – Cara’s book excerpt on the “Gender Equal” blog
When Indian activist Rita Banerji asked me to post an excerpt from my memoir on her blog, Gender Equal, I didn't just feel humbled - I almost felt ashamed. Gender Equal seeks to raise awareness of global gender inequities. The blog is an initiative of the 50 Million...
YOUR LITTLE GIRL SELF: Cara’s Guest Post on the Feminine Revelations Blog
My friend and fellow-blogger, Rebecca Elia, has asked her followers a good question: "How does your fun little girl self show up in your life now?" Check out my answer at her blog: Feminine Revelations. I hope it prompts you to think of your own answer to the...