Life Lesson: Alone

I was recently asked if I like being alone.  In context, I'd been doing a lot of activities lately solely by myself.  I slackline in the park after work, I go on day hikes, and I occasionally do an overnight in the wilderness or a far off campground.  The main reason I do this activities alone, is because I have no one else to do them with.  My husband is in school as are my friends.  My other friends either live in Pennsylvania, Seattle, or are currently thru hiking the PCT.  The companion resources are thin.  The question was asked by someone who knows all of these facts (my father).

But the answer to his question was "sometimes."  I sometimes like to be alone. I love the camaraderie of having a partner to hike with, to climb with, to camp with.  I love laughing at the end of the day, as we recount all the shenanigans we got into and the mistakes we made, the vistas we attained and the memories that were had.  There are somethings that I'm probably too scared to do by myself, but with a friend, I wouldn't be nearly as afraid (or at least wouldn't chicken out too easily).

But sometimes I love being alone.  I never have to worry about anyone's agenda but my own.  I never have to worry about someone's ability level exceeding my own.  I don't have to worry about saying or doing anything stupid.  And I can enjoy everything at my own leisure.  I can stay on a soft patch of pine needles for an hour just listening to a creek gurgle by.  I don't have to rush back to the trail-head for any reason.  I don't have to answer the questions of why I want to shoot a walk-by scene from three different angles and focuses.  But most of all, I can be quiet and contemplate my thoughts without the consideration of anything but me.  It's my selfish time.  The time 100% devoted to me.

If you've never had the opportunity to get into the backcountry or just your backyard trail to sit in the cool breeze among the chirping treetops and think about your life, you truly are missing out.  Those are the moments when I get to figure out my priorities and organize my goals in life.  Those are the moments I figure out who I really am and what makes me happy.  Whether its the summit of your local peak or the soft bouncy pine trail through a lush forest, these places are special to us in more ways than we can imagine.  You just have to get out there and figure out what they are.

Life Lesson: Never Get 'Old'

Everyone has thought about never getting old at least once in their life.  The thought is romantic, but unrealistic.  Instead we should think about all the amazing memories we've acquired over the years and commit to never accepting our own mental or physical defeat.  A 27-year old says their getting too old for a simple activity.  Has our society really become that lazy? The old saying goes, "You're only as old as you feel."  But in reality it should really be, "You're only as old as you let yourself believe."

One California man has decided not to let age and naysayers keep him from doing what he loves: hiking.  At 85, Don Viejo (trail name), has sent out a new kind of personal ad.

Not only is the ad extremely cute, but his poem is creative and hits home to a lot of us.  His message speaks volumes to his character.  Never give up, no matter how slow.  Our bodies might be older, but our hearts are forever young.

A Video A Day... Badass Girls

Want to see some lovely ladies tearing it up on their long boards?  I know I do.  These increible women are the Longboard Girls Crew and this ride of the Madrid Mountains is so full of adventure and thrill.

 They ride the way we used to when we were kids.  On our bikes or boards, racing full speed down a hill.  We never cared about whether we got hurt or not.  And it did hurt.  There was always a skinned knee and blood, but that didn't stop us from doing it again the next day.  Every day there was adventure waiting to be discovered and never did we stop to consider the consequences of fun.

But eventually we grew up and discovered that pain was avoidable and crashing into trees at the expense of a long run wasn't worth it.  We began to understand those consequences and we no longer ignored the results of our recklessness. And we lost the freedom.

That's why I love this video.  Not every loses that carefree mentality and I love watching people going all out with nothing the fear.  I wish I could be like that again, face into the wind, tearing up my knees on the pavement.  I try to reach out to that childhood idea every once in a while, but I always find myself hesitent.  So I try my best to be a fearless adventurer and when I can't, I watch other people who can.

Find your inner fearlessness.  And discover thrills long since forgotten.  And as the Decemberists put it, "And you won't make a dime, On this gray granite mountain mine, Of dirt you're made and of dirt you will return."


Carving the Mountains from Juan Rayos on Vimeo.

A Video A Day... Pro Snow!

Who doesn't want to watch a cute cartoon snowflake tell us about the effects of global warming and the ski industry?  Adorable and important!

A Video A Day... Why Run?

I absolutely love this video.  It's poetic and romanticizes our ideas about why we run.  I don't run as often as I would like and someday soon I would like to consider myself a runner.  For me, this is true inspiration.