On my 40th birthday, I type to you, my fans, my Escapers. To tell my stories of adventure & my tales of woe. I am DanaMite, founder Total Escape. The web site, the store, the trips, the vehicles, the land, the people. Total Escape, the vision.
Created in 1996 as a web resource for California, I compiled thousands of destination pages & digital photographs of anything outdoors. Anything California, anything camping, anything I could think of. Pouring out my knowledge of back roads & rural hide-always to you, my web buddies, my nature seekers, I realize that I do indeed love my job. Following my passions & blending adventurous strangers & friends, plus local travels, puts me on the map as a fun loving outdoors professional.
Last week we celebrated with a huge Aquarius-A-Go-Go party with 10 birthdays, at DanaMite's home. Escapers from all over SoCal & some local neighbor folks joined the festivities.
Today, this is my big four-ohhh! Wow, another decade has past. Some women are terrified to reach this age, as they see it all down hill from here. Hog wash I say. I am physically fit, attractive, never married, no kids, running my own successful dot com from my mountain paradise, living in a beautiful forest in a small cabin community in SoCal, with tons of cool neighbors (& a handful of freaks), plus I am driving a new Saabaru. After high school, I left Louisiana to discover myself & talents in California. I worked my ass off through junior colleges, art center, a 3D animation career & now I am 10 years into this web profession. Life is pretty good to me & all I wanna do is share it!
I was pretty excited about a 40th birthday, as I have accomplished a fair amount & very proud of who I am. But as happy as my life seems, there is always an undercurrent of unrest, uneasiness & negativity. Yes, there are people who love to hate & that usually means difficulties, dramas & disenchantment. Yes, someone is ruining my little mountain paradise, on purpose. And Miss Mite is getting very, very annoyed. A disturbed ex-lover who's trying to control my whereabouts, my life & my fun is now seeking court orders against me, the 105 lb camp diva. No guns, no dogs, no live-in boyfriend. Why do I pose a threat to him? (What, with my poetry?)
Remember now folks, he followed me up to Pine Mountain - 3 long years ago. He shows a darkness like I have never seen.
I am here to tell my story.
Stay tuned. There is definitely more to come.
