- -- - - -- - -- -- ---- -- ------ -- - -- - - -- - ------ - -- - - - - - - - - ---
on the larger side of things...all life is, is an adventure. really the whole big deal of it is: places big and small we go, cities we seek and dwell in, people we encounter and let change us, views [both that we speak of and also physical] we take in with our eyes and lens that remind us of how small we really are. was christopher mccandless right when he said that happiness is only real when shared? spending time alone can be quite wonderful. but i don't think that is what he was getting at.
thinking about the saying:

"life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. if you get a chance, take it. if it changes your life, let it. nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. "

though i prefer quotes that are shorter as i have a trend to not agree with it's entirety this one speaks a lot of truth and have always had a liking for it. it rings true with the adventuresome life i'm currently alive in. so live on and let be because time flies. suns rise and shadows do fall. let the time go by because there's no use fighting it.

man.thatwashard

listen up now. i'll tell you what the big deal is about hiking your booty up to 14,000 ft above sea level-------> it makes you feel damn proud when you turn around at the bottom and look back at the freakin mountain you scaled up in a single day. i've got one and three fourths in my bag and not sure i will be high tailing it up anymore 14er mountains any time soon. it.was.hard. quite possibly one of the hardest things i've done to date. moving so slow i could have sworn i went backwards a few times and might have fallen down to die a slow death if it wasn't for friends making sure i breathed in and breathed out and put one foot up up up in front of the other.

the mountain we tackled was mt. massive and rose to fourteen-thousand-four-hundred-and-twenty-one-feet of grueling beauty. side note: we started at 10,080' so don't go thinking all you non-coloradans that we started at sea level. i'm no sherpa and i do welcome oxygen. a 13.5 mile round trip trail took you through all sorts of scenery. the start: in the density of the trees. pines fallen in masses from the heart wrenching pine beetles. hundreds left to be burned or carried away, whatever their fate. as with most things in life, death often brings light to new life and baby aspens were filling in amongst the laid pine. as sad as it is to see fields of trees browned over, nothing could be sweeter than the rise of the harmonious tree that is the aspen. we welcome you. then as you rise in elevation you move above tree line and stop drinking your water for fear of peeing to a crowd. no, but really it is quite exposed and the vegetation is even more barren. some of the most beautiful of flowers survive the harsh winds, the sideways hail, the bitter sleet and the persistent snow. we, humans, were so lucky to encounter all these forms of precipitation which is why these little flowers amaze me each time i summit to another mountain top and find a cluster of colorful buds alive and happy as ever. then for the final push: up the talus field over that boulder past the many carins to the fateful tip TOP. we-made---it---. and as the clouds so kindly parted for us the view allows you to breathe for the first time in miles just a bit deeper. a much needed breath of fresh mountain air. ahhhhh.

oh wait, did i mention we were alone. all alone. i tell you this because it is rare and sacred, for me at least. for some reason people actually enjoy hiking 14ers and they are rather crowded on the weekend. i guess our plan to start late was indeed a good choice.

fotos>uganda

{------------ugandan----------------------------------------------------------------------}

{---------------------------------male rothschild giraffe---------------------------------}

{--------------------------------------------u.c.u chapel dancing-----------------------}

{--------------------------------------------------------------------metric scale-------------}

{----------------------------------------------- jinja advertising }

tobepresent

the great affair is to move and your feet will then bring you to where your heart is. all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.

though all have some level of truth i still have yet to discern which of these themes rings most true to me . i've only been home from uganda for 3 days now and should probably give it some time to let thoughts, emotions, feelings rise and surface. unlike the time i lived in rome, this trip came to fruition rather quickly and didn't have too much buildup in terms of expectations. the only thing forecasted was that my eyes would open a little wider, and they did indeed.

what qualifies a country to be third world? are there such things as second world countries and why does it always seems that there is not as much room for the middle? except some things feel like all parts fall into the middle. anyways, in this idea of a "western culture" and all that is developed with exponential growth that happens year by year these two extremes of third world to first world are moving rapidly in the opposite direction. or better yet, one is staying still and the other is shooting like a rocket, comparatively. you can not help but judge what you know and are comfortable with to the unfamiliar and straight up unnatural. i tried my hardest to not do a lot of adverse thinking while in africa and wanted to be my most present self. though the inevitable scrutinizing humans that we are makes this a challenge.
i think if i could amend one of the first mentioned statements i would go to great lengths to say that: all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware until fully immersed in the present state of their surroundings. or something of the like. i'm not such a quotist, but i'm working on it.

ride dangerously.take a boda

so here i am at the eMi offices in kampala uganda about to go fall asleep in a hammock. i don't really know what to write as there is so much to say and the last thing i want to put down is a play by play. i want to note about things experienced, feelings felt, relationships with ugandans and americans, adventures survived and so much more of the like.

tomorrow i leave early for murchinson falls which is on the western most side of the country and will be there for three days. i'm going to safari around with others [others i don't yet know and hopefully speak a common language, but if not that's fine too] and see animals we only see in the zoo. i suppose this is an extended trip through an african zoo. yes, i like that. i would say this creates mild to medium excitement. okay but really, it's going to great! just another amazing adventure i've already packed into these short two weeks.

this morning i experienced all that is unreal about driving in kampala. it's CRAZY! i mean, i should have already known this from traveling previously to some similar countries but this is something altogether new. my friend and i chose to venture downtown on bodas. bodas are motorcycles with an impressively skilled driver who can maneuver through anything. i could have sworn my leg would have touched another moving vehicle at least 15 times and a person 7 more but in the end i was clean of any contact. helmets seem non existent and new borns in mother's laps are encouraged. girls sit two legs on the side and men three deep [perhaps a child on the shoulders as well] i'm not even kidding. we were dropped off at the aweeno market and didn't see another mizungo [translation=white person] until we were back at the offices. needless to say we got some looks. all in all it was a fantastic taste of ugandan culture.

of course...more to come :)

westtogunnison

yes, it's been a while. but this doesn't mean i've been bumming it on the couch waiting for adventure to seek me. it was the first-climbin'/campin'-trip of the summer weekend, family time x 2, and attempts at long haul climbing.
this past weekend just so happened to be a three day weekend [athankya fighters of our country past and present]. and when you work in the 9-5 world of business these little gems of free days off are glorious beyond spectacular. it means you can travel just a little further, stay for an extra night, not have to hustle back and of course pack in more action. or relaxing. or hiking. or simply staring off into the rockies. you can take your pick. we choose gunnsion with a side of laughter.

gunnison is home to western state college, a small state school that i don't know much about. it is summer time so the students have already launched into their summer plans, leaving the place a underpopulated, at least one would think. though this town was packed with people, be it bikers, climbers, babies in buggies, runners galore. we soon came to realize that there were three competition of sorts going on all in the same recreation area. splendid.
we were there to climb. the endurance climb actually. this entailed throwing your body up against conglomerate granite and hoping to the rocks gods that your shoes held on for dear life. thankfully, they did a better portion of the time. you could even go 'hands free' this rock had so much texture. it was fantastic for smearing [scientific climbing term which really just translates to nontechnical footwork gone awry.] we took on the challenge of climbing for 1,440 minutes. or 24 hours, if you wish. either way, we didn't make it and decided that once our tenacity ran dry and i took a nose dive into the dirt we best call it a night. this place, hartman rocks, is an excellent mecca for a weekend combo of climbing, mountain biking and trail running. it was inspiring to be 30 feet high on a climb and look out to see bikers moving so swiftly through the sand like texture and turns of the trail. it makes me admire and give respect to each nature loving sport. another thing that made me smile was taking part in a favorite past time of mine: getting hot and sweaty and then plunging into some body of water. the blue mesa for us which definitely deserves a trip back around to.

[hartman rocks : lovely photo by sejal]

________________________________________________________________




...and if you ask for something you have to be aware that it just might be granted to you.

denverrides

this city i live in, denver, makes me happy all the time. yes, i receive good vibes and a charismatic touch from the city. it is alive.
it also decided to start [with thanks to Hickenlooper and his green outlook on denver] the nations largest bike sharing cooperative to date. it's been a few years coming and hard work but now, today :earth day: it's making the launch. there are 40 or so kiosks with 8 meticulously crafted bikes at each station around the inner city limits of denver. the trek designed bike has a basket, gps tracker, fenders, chain guards, built in lock and automatic lights [awhat?] included in the cruiser style fit for any person. i know this because i went to a v0lunteer training where it took two men to hold up the 45 lb bike in all its glory.
though i think the rides are a little expensive there is really no way around the "cost" of using the bikes. austin tried this initiative with yellow Lance bikes and they were repeatedly stolen and found damaged. it would be a beautiful thing to share with out price and rely on our fellow neighbor to return the toy but alas it's not looking promising. but that is not here nor there and a fare there must be. i can't wait to see these bikes cruising around town and will get to jump on one tomorrow for a test ride and promote what this is all about. if you are a denverite go check it out!

[designs and branding by crispin porter + bogusky]

gettinglost

so back to adventuring.....ahhh yes
i know sometimes it's great fun and all to get lost and even healthy to wander without knowing where you are going but i got sickly lost at cherry creek state park the other day. now, this place is 4,200 acres of hugeness. i did all the things i thought i should: scoped out a trail map prior, rigged the entrance fee by "walking in," set out a few hours before dark and even had high hopes of running the whole time. i did not intend on asking for directions but after meandering for a good 1.2 hours i opted for the second runner i saw of the night. whew! i turned around and started running with him and into the semi correct direction. thank you kind sir. the only frustration was that it was getting dark and i also had somewhere to be getting to. if it wasn't for these two factors, this is with out a doubt the best way to explore an unfamiliar place: get deeply hidden and discover your way out. if this poses some dangerous threat[in a light hearted way], all the better.
i used to run at a fabulous place in fayetteville that was an escape, if you will, to school and the whirlwinds of life. the ability to go there and move to nothing but the sound of the adjacent lake or the leaves bustling around you was great time spent. i've longed for a place like this in denver and think i may have discovered just this, it only took me 1.7 years, sheesh. being an urban park, cherry creek state park gives fascinating views of the cityscape, the chance to run through and near herds of mule deer [not the skinny kind of deer you see in san antonio because they are literally locked within the city neighborhoods] but free roaming and startling huge animals, plus some beautiful mallards in the water. i could go on about animals, but then again even a bunny will get me all giddy.
i'm not a fan of getting in your vehicle to drive yourself to a location to run. it just seems silly. problem is this is not a prime location from my house but i suppose neither was lake fayetteville and seemed like a treat when i got the chance to go. not being readily available is maybe what adds to the attraction of a place. well, next time i'll hopefully not ask for help with reckoning.

thoughtsalongtheway

sometimes the need to break free is so overwhelming that i'm not ever fully convinced what it would look like.
is it teaching english in another country, is it an extended road trip, is it moving into a colorado mountain town, or is it conforming and going to grad school to seek the life of being a student again? i think that this takes the words right out of my mouth:

"There is a secret set within each of our hearts. It often goes unnoticed, we rarely can put words to it, and yet it guides us throughout the days of our lives. This secret remains hidden for the most part in our deepest selves. It is simply the desire for life as it was meant to be. Isn’t there a life you have been searching for all your days? You may not always be aware of your search, and there are times when you seem to have abandoned looking altogether. But again and again it returns to us, this yearning that cries out for the life we prize. It is elusive, to be sure. It seems to come and go at will. Seasons may pass until it surfaces again. And though it seems to taunt us, and may at times cause us great pain, we know when it returns that it is priceless. For if we could recover this desire, unearth it from beneath all other distractions and embrace it as our deepest treasure, we would discover the secret of our existence.

- we long for life and we’re not sure where to find it. We wonder if we ever do find it, can we make it last? The longing for life within us seems incongruent with the life we find around us. What is available seems at times close to what we want, but never quite a fit. We must journey to find the life we prize. And the guide we have been given is the desire set deep within, the desire we often overlook, or mistake for something else or even choose to ignore. The greatest human tragedy is simply to give up the search. There is nothing of greater importance than the life of our deep heart. To lose heart is to lose everything. And if we are to bring our hearts along in our life’s journey, we simply must not, we cannot abandon this desire."

The clue as to who we really are and why we are here comes to us through our heart’s desire.

[desire:eldridge]

the closest things i've got to what i envision simply contains more than one ardor. i believe, the real secret to any one's existence will run dry if it is one passion singly deep. passions [not to be confused with fascinations], to name a few or the real few to be more honest [in absolutely no order whatsoever]are: architecture, soccer, jesus, climbing, jewelry design, cities and how they function. i would be inclined to say traveling, but who doesn't like traveling, its a luxury and a great deal of fun and though liked more by some than others, it just doesn't seem fit. i would put traveling as a means to pursue my passions. and sometimes that is just as so traveling to the nearest hobby lobby for supplies and goodies.
isn't this blog supposed to be about embarking on adventure and going new places?
i think i got a little off topic on this one but felt compelled and would hope you are out there doing the same thing, using your means accessible to cultivate living passionately as there is no other way to be.