The Language of Experience

Words dance atop deep truths. Symbols we call letters were perhaps first etched into dirt by early mankind. And in the dirt, meaning was found. But lately, I find words falling short. The feeling, the deepest meaning they carry, lost between lips and ears. Somewhere in the atmosphere. Dissolving.

Always, I have longed most to be understood. That longing grew with time and has taken new form. I long to create containers for shared understanding. When Raleigh & I first began dreaming of Diirt, we spoke about the power of connection between people & planet. Now, I invite you to read that again, slower. Close your eyes. Take a moment to ponder its meaning to you.

The Power of Connection. Between. People. And. Planet. (Hint: People is plural with intent).

When we flow together, something I would call magic is born. As I look back on this past year of setting out into the world to capture that magic in some way - to tell its story - I’m overwhelmed with fulfillment.

We spent over 50 days on the river with the company of incredibly special people. I found a whole new meaning of “flow state” in knee-deep powder on the backside of Powder Mountain. We chased swells up and down the coast, got lost (and found ourselves) in Big Sur, explored crevasses in the desert, cold-plunged in the Rocky Mountains, foraged for morels in Idaho, and so much more.

But here, words fall short in expressing the immense meaning these moments carry in my life. What remains now is simply a feeling - one I believe is shared with every person who walks in these memories with me. In the silence, beneath the sky, there was great understanding. And it was not expressed through words, but rather through the time & space we shared, the way we moved through and with it. And in these moments, I felt most connected. Most understood. Most alive.

So this year, when you find words falling short, when you feel you may have lost your sense of self or sense of connection to the world around you, remember this magic lies at your feet always, an infinite well of possibility.

This year, I implore you to swim, surrender, tune in to flow with the people you love. And relish in its power to light you up.

-M, January 2023