Inauguration

Here's me, hanging off the edge of something high, as usual.

Hey there! My name’s Mandi, and thanks for joining Ellipsis: Backcountry and Books for its inaugural post!

I’m a writer and a reader, a rock climber, a maker, a photographer, and an explorer of new things. This May, I graduate with my MFA in creative writing, and I couldn’t be more excited to start a new chapter (unavoidable cheesy pun).

Many of you know ellipsis as the punctuation: dot-dot-dot. In Ancient Greek, it represented an omission or falling short. In English, we use it to indicate an unfinished thought, or a nervous, awkward silence, and at the beginning or end of a sentence, the kind of cute dot-dot-dot can even inspire a feeling of melancholy or longing.

But the ellipsis isn’t always down in the dumps! Ellipsis also represents a leading statement or a thoughtful pause. Most recently, the ellipsis has had a bad time among lit buffs. Poor ellipsis is downright bullied by those who think it’s a mere cop-out. As if you don’t have the chutzpah to say what you mean. But I’m for the underdog, and the ellipsis, for me, is a symbol of things to come, of the suspense of life, and thoughts left to the imagination.

My life has been one great adventure, big and small, and I’ve started Ellipsis as a way to share it all. There are so many creative, inspiring people who have been kind enough to share their stories and their success on the blogosphere, and it’s hard to find that time and the dedication, but nothing we do in life is valued more than when it is shared.

So, what kind of posts can you expect from this blog?

• Photo explorations into the wild
• Bouts of wanderlust and quiet moments at the desk 
• Inspiration from the outbound: hiking, climbing, camping, and traveling
• Writing and reading experiences
• Book nooks and fly supplies from some of the raddest small businesses

On Saturday, I went climbing in the Poudre River Canyon in Colorado, and can’t wait to share some of the pictures from this adventure, and the many more adventures to come.

This is my little lion, Kinley Kitty, just hanging around Ellipsis.