At 10:00am tomorrow morning, Glenn and I are off to Austin, Texas to start a trip that took 12 months to plan. Day 1 is less than 2 hours away, and I could not be more stoked to get started. The awesome thing about roadtripping rather than flying directly to Jackson Hole is that we get the opportunity to explore wildly throughout the West. To me, "The West" means so much more than a place on the map or the stomping grounds of John Wayne. Millions run to the mountains, flowered fields, and rivers that carve out the American West. It holds an idea, an openness to freedom and exploration. It has opened its gates to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to inspiring environmental activists like Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, and to dirtbag climbing junkies like Fred Beckey. I mention all these famous names (well..famous to some), but where do I fall into this equation? How do I stack among these millions?
After high school, I found myself swallowed up by this massive, constantly spinning world. Just as I slammed into rock bottom, I came upon the adventurous life outdoors. I spent the next 90 days traveling by day via canoe, kayak, and foot across some of the prettiest landscapes on Earth and spending each night under night skies pierced with stars. Life was beautiful and simple again. My days had meaning and value, and I think that is what we all search for in times of need.
A big house with high walls has been the American Dream for as long as I seem to remember, but what happens when that Dream is reached but happiness still isn't gained? Societal norms would suggest that one implies the other. I see so many folks today living life within these preconceived boundaries, and not exploring beyond them, and spinning their wheels each day into what becomes a lifeless rut. There is very little joy on the faces of my peers who spend their days in office spaces scraping the day away. To me, life should not revolve around 9 to 5's, traffic, and cookie cutter homes. People can strangle the life out of their days if there is no passion rooted within the actions.
Where did passionate living go? Where did deliberate lives take off to? I believe that each person's answer will be different. That is what The West holds for me. The wide open skies, the chiseled Rocky Mountains, the chilled river waters, they all breath life into me. I am most alive when I am out living amongst these things, and I can no longer imagine a life without them. I value sunsets over cubicles, thin alpine air over car air conditioning, and river water splitting around my worn out boots over a suit and tie. When you hit rock bottom, you realize that life is all about moments, simple moments in life and the people you experience those moments with. So live life for moments that make you feel most alive. Living deliberately, to me, is all that matters each day. Find your "West," and I hope you find some inspiration as the three of us explore ours. Take it easy!
After high school, I found myself swallowed up by this massive, constantly spinning world. Just as I slammed into rock bottom, I came upon the adventurous life outdoors. I spent the next 90 days traveling by day via canoe, kayak, and foot across some of the prettiest landscapes on Earth and spending each night under night skies pierced with stars. Life was beautiful and simple again. My days had meaning and value, and I think that is what we all search for in times of need.
A big house with high walls has been the American Dream for as long as I seem to remember, but what happens when that Dream is reached but happiness still isn't gained? Societal norms would suggest that one implies the other. I see so many folks today living life within these preconceived boundaries, and not exploring beyond them, and spinning their wheels each day into what becomes a lifeless rut. There is very little joy on the faces of my peers who spend their days in office spaces scraping the day away. To me, life should not revolve around 9 to 5's, traffic, and cookie cutter homes. People can strangle the life out of their days if there is no passion rooted within the actions.
Where did passionate living go? Where did deliberate lives take off to? I believe that each person's answer will be different. That is what The West holds for me. The wide open skies, the chiseled Rocky Mountains, the chilled river waters, they all breath life into me. I am most alive when I am out living amongst these things, and I can no longer imagine a life without them. I value sunsets over cubicles, thin alpine air over car air conditioning, and river water splitting around my worn out boots over a suit and tie. When you hit rock bottom, you realize that life is all about moments, simple moments in life and the people you experience those moments with. So live life for moments that make you feel most alive. Living deliberately, to me, is all that matters each day. Find your "West," and I hope you find some inspiration as the three of us explore ours. Take it easy!
Thanks for the Ascensionist 45L, Patagonia! Gear Reviews to come...