Now that I had her, how did I get her ready to take me to the top of the mountain? Unfortunately, I did not do my research and because of this, I was taken advantage of by a local off-road outfitter and it was to the sum of thousands. I was so hurt I wanted to give up. All the hard work I put in, the countless hours of physical therapy, the hours and hours I had spent dreaming about busting out of the hospital and getting back up the mountain came to a complete standstill.
I thought about taking my truck to a different off-road store and having all the modifications I had purchased taken off. To make things worse, the on-line forums were brutal. I had posted photos of Rebel telling everyone how excited I was to take her off-road. It was that way I learned the mods that I had purchased were very low quality and that I could have gotten myself into a bad situation. Never mind the fact that I had let someone take off a suspension that was far superior and let them replace it with junk.
I decided to go and delete the online posts where I had put pictures of my 4Runner highlighting all the mods that I was told were great for off-roading. It was then I noticed a post that I had not seen previously. It was a man who said some encouraging words and told me that what had happened was a shame, and that I should go see “Chase at L&C Trucks in Oregon City”.
I decided to give it one more try. That one more try turned out to be a pivotal point in what would eventually turn into myself and Kymberlee Edvalson starting a ladies only off-road and social group and our partnering with L&C Trucks.
I started Lady Yota's because I knew there had to be another way. There had to be a way to get the probably hundreds of thousands of women who want to modify their Toyotas, a safe space of sorts in order to ask questions, create events, cultivate friendships and network.
My Toyota is my chair lift that gets me to the top of the mountain. Without my 4Runner, it wouldn’t be possible. I still struggle with severe neuropathy, I stumble and trip, and have to do infusions every so often. None of those things matter to me, because I am alive.
I choose to focus on the fact that I am no longer in the hospital. I am home with my family and my friends. I have a supportive network of ladies who are kind, loving, and they love their Yota's as much as I do.
Lady Yota’s was born from an idea that was sparked from persistence, from not giving up, from having a best friend and family who believed in me and spent countless hours trying to make what we've created even more amazing. It was born from seeking assistance from other specialty groups and being told “No, you can’t do that” or “Oh look, another stupid question”.
Why as women can’t we lift each other up and offer a hand of support? You never know where someone is at in their journey, and how close they may be to giving up. You could be the voice in the darkness. You could be the one that makes all the difference in someone’s life. So be kind, be present, speak up, but most importantly, never give up.
.
III
So, what’s next you ask? Starting Lady Yota's with Kymberlee and watching the group continue to grow has been such a joy. I would love to be at every single event, but unfortunately that’s just not sustainable or healthy for me. I need to put my health as my main priority, and scale back attending so many of our events.
Lady Yota's and Coffee has been a fantastic event that I have truly enjoyed, and I feel as though I'm able to catch up with so many of you. I do plan to continue attending our monthly coffee events, as well as the "runs" that we go on after. I'll also still attend some of the already planned events!
Another reason I am scaling back is because I had an opportunity to purchase a 15 acre fully functioning farm in Yamhill County! I was fortunate enough to meet an incredible human, Kim White. Kim and I (after a TON of research) worked with our local community partners such as the Future Farmers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and OSU Extension Offices and created a sustainable plan for the farm.
We will offer dog boarding, and some of the furry friends you’ll find at the farm will include alpacas, chickens, sheep and goats (High Tea with Goats or Pygmies & Pinot www.pygmiesandpinot.com). We will also offer camping spaces with RV hookups, and event space for Lady Yota retreats etc. The farm is located 45 minutes from PDX and about 50 minutes from Lincoln City.
We hope to continue to grow this amazing group of supportive women and foster friendships. The wonderful Kymberlee Edvalson will continue to work with all things marketing related and make sure things run smoothly, Kellie will continue to be our resident IT extraordinaire, Chelsea will still put together the fun social media posts, and I’ll be at the farm taking care of animals and welcoming all our guests!
We will have plenty of space for all! If you would like to be a part of the opening day celebrations, stay tuned for more info! If you happen to want to help out on the farm on occasion in exchange for dog boarding or for some Airbnb credits, feel free to PM me!
Now you know I won't leave you hanging like that.. Sneak peek below...........
further....
Okay okay!
Comments