Good Times: Reflections and rejuvenation

Looking back on this year I can say there are some things I am proud of and things I wish I could have handled differently. But hey, what can you do about the past? Not a damn thing. You can look back and laugh, and that's it. Watching myself in this short video my friend made for her class at CAL made me see how uncomfortable I could be in front of a camera. Even if it's not at a professional level! But I also look back and see how burned out I was becoming before my trip to Colorado.

Two months away from home, away from every day friends and faces was something I was long overdue for. I hadn't traveled since the 2009 summer OR in Salt Lake City, UT. I was increasingly longing for a trip outside of California. My attitude had soured to the point where frustration would set in during my climbing sessions sometimes. It took a while to notice, but it became apparent during a Mortar Rock session that I wasn't in the right mental state. I need refreshing. So I booked a ticket for two months to Colorado at the end of August on the date my dad and step mom set off on their new adventure of living in retirement on Oahu, HI. I planned to meet them at the gate to say my "see you laters" (because goodbye is overrated and too mainstream for us…NOT!). An hour after they boarded their plane and jet stetted 2,387miles west across the Pacific Ocean, I was off on a two hour plane ride to Denver, CO.

This trip was a vacation of sorts. Chaotic at times and worth every single second. I would do it all over again and plan to this coming winter/spring. It refreshes my head and taught me a lot about myself that was long overdue to be seen through my eyes. Sure, everyone else can see how big of a kook you are and you can sit there and think, "Why am I getting these dirty looks?" But until you see for yourself and have someone call you on it on a constant basis, you're going to still act like a kook. And it takes the skill of listening and being able to take what you hear to heart knowing that the people telling you this want you to better your self or risk losing what you have gained. Yes, climbing was there and I met some pretty cool people (Oh hey Beau Kahler, Coury Pitt, Erik Tasker, and Jeff Weinberg) and saw some familiar faces from the Bay Area and So Cal (What up Justin Alacron, Mike Wickwire, and Paul "P.Diddy" Dusatko) while on some excursions. But my main focus was to relax.