The Drive: I left Saturday morning at around 9:30 am or close. I woke up that morning at 630 am, made coffee and took a shower. Everybody probably got up around 745 am or something close. We sat around, played one last FIFA 2010 game and I headed out of there. I was choked up as I left the guys behind.
Photos of Drive Back. ( you might have already seen these) opps...
The drive was brutal, I drove the whole leg in one day and night. I got in Sunday morning around 6am, it must have been in the range of 21-22 hours of driving. The hardest part was St Louis to Memphis, this leg seemed like the longest. Once I almost to the Jonesboro, AR exit off I-55 there was a Possum just hanging out in the middle of the road, I hit him and he is surely dead now. Then five minutes after that incident these two mini vans that were traveling in the right lane, south bound, decided to stop in the middle of the Express-Way, just stop, almost right in front of me. I had to swerve to avoid them while honking and yelling. Then in another 5 minutes I was in Marion and there was a car on Fire in the North Bound lane. Big flames where reaching into the sky as I could feel the heat of the burning mass as I passed the car surrounded by fire trucks. Once I got to West Memphis I was wondering what else could happened that is weird?? Nothing happened other than me pulling into my drive way, walking in my house and going to bed promptly.
So now that I am back what up??
I did do a lot of stuff (Climbing and Shopping) but I spent a lot of time just hanging out with Bill's Flatmate's (Clayton, Jethro and Phil.) The climbing taught me something about reaching goals and the hanging out reminded me about how much fun it is to just hang out with the regulars.
I went there thinking that I would ride one of my bikes but I ended up climbing mountains instead. I never intended for this to happen, it just did. I had no desire to ride until the very end of my trip and I could not because of an injury to my ribs. *(if you have read the blog, I sneezed violently Thursday afternoon and it cracked my ribs, I think it was a result of my earlier injury during Smash-Ball). Climbing showed me how to look up at adversity and go to the top of it, like any goal. It hurts going to the top but once you get there it is the best feeling in the world, it is success. So I wanted to keep on climbing, what was the next big obstacle?? I could not get this man verses mother nature out of my head, the only end is Mt Everest or Space Travel, so you have to conquer everything in between. I climbed to 12,000 ft several times and it is not enough, I am going back next summer and climb at least two 14,000 foot peaks if not four or five, maybe 6, it can be done. Plus I will do more riding next time!!! Goals, Mountain Tops and the planning to get there. To climb a 14ner, there is a lot of planning and leg work. You have to know the climb well to not die!!! haha!!!! In the mean time I will climb around here, there is plenty of stuff.
And hanging out!!! All my friends that liked camping, biking and other outdoor fun moved away or had kids, so hanging out just does not happen as naturally as it does in Aspen where I had four room-mates. I have to get involved in some organizations that like these outdoor activities, like get involved on the http://www.memphismountaineers.com/.
"No Worries" is a way of life in Aspen. People are excited about life in so many aspects who live out there. There is a vast majority of individuals that live out there who Ski/Snowboard in the winter and do some other sport in the summer (Mountaineering, Cycling, Sailing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Running, Etc.) The payoff they get from Sking or one of the many other activities seems to pour into the other aspects of life, at least that is the way that I see it, they would even credit their activities to a elevated good attitude in life. The magic out there is the ease and accessibility of things to do. Many things are just a walk out your front door. Most (not all) everybody that lives there does something athletic, and most everybody is living there to ski, which is athletic. So most everybody is fit!! There are studies that indicate fit people are happier in general, ha!! So......
Well, I am back for a while. People keep asking me when I am going to move out there, which I have no answer other than "not today". maybe I will go back this winter and finally stop skiing and try out the snow board.!!! Until my next trip...... Ta!!!
THE END!
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