Slowest work week yet, but I'm not here to talk about the job; so clear your mind of anything cubicle related, sit back. Stop thinking about those beautifully awkward break-room conversations, relax. Expel your thought of windowless offices, stretch out, and dwell no longer on the reverberating raucous of fax machines, laser jet ink printers, copiers, telephone jingles, and the stressful thread of things to do. My things-to-do thread sounds similar to group of murderous cacti moseying along interstate 70 while wallowing in the yesteryear of the avant-garde jazz scene.
Fletcher and I were coming back from our trail ride and run last night, talking about our upcoming adventure race and I had a strike of genius… We were talking about the need to plot points on the map so we would need a straight edge to mark the appropriate destinations, and a ruler naturally came to mind first. Of course, an 18-inch, sharp-cornered, metal object jutting out the top of a back pack, while riding, running and climbing, is safe. People do it all the time. After a semi-gruesome thought of mr. straightedge cutting into the back of the carrier’s neck on a nasty trail wreck, I began searching the frontal lobe for healthier alternatives.
String.
We’ll simply stretch the soft and safe multipurpose strand to a taut length and tada!...straightedge. I love whipping out MacGyver skills.
Rad verses inhaled today:
Excitation of energy levels is arising from plans to start hanging out with my friends Andrew and Isaac for a small group/bible study.
My feet are getting itchier every day…my scalp too as the season gets dryer…but my feet (they know my heart well) may just start dragging my logical “wisdom” into the adventurous unknown of anywhere. I love that God is so ambiguous at times with his plans for us; makes me realize my further need to trust Him. This summer has manifested a groaning growth of wonder (and wander) lust. A soul breaching desire for adventure inspired by recent input such as the book Into The Wild by John Krakour (can’t wait to see the movie), the Summit Adventure team, the Banff Mountain Film Festival, certain scriptures (Matt.10:9-10, Matt. 11:28-30), people I’ve met on travbuddy.com (like thenomadlife), couchsurfing.com, a cell phone text message from people in need, mountains calling my name, new cultures beckoning, and this burning urge to not look back on this life and realize that I didn’t allow God to make it all it could be in Him.
I was at a lunch meeting awhile back and my co-workers were giving the parting intern his due advice, like not to drink in college (since he wasn’t of age) but to “have fun because it really is the time of your life.” The adviser then started listing of reasons like “you don’t have a mortgage, kids…” etc. etc. etc… I mulled over that thought and dreaded it being true for my life. College was great, but no way am I getting stuck in this corporate rat race to have the biggest and best whatever, though I'm excited to someday have kids. I felt sad for the exuding normalcy.
Oy, writing this out is pushing the desire to hop on my motorcycle and ride to Montana to work as a ranch hand for a month, then swing down to Florida to help at an alligator farm, then buzz over to California to be a wilderness instructor, then zip across to the Adirondack Mountains in New York to work with youth in outdoor experiential education, then toss myself into a boat heading to Madagascar to work with endangered animals and build houses for the ones who can’t and earn some extra cash as a motorcycle taxi, then meet George the airplane pilot that may not even exist, and fly to Australia with him and get my first flight lesson along the way, then box some kangaroos, dance with some locals, pick up an awesome accent while learning to cook in the outback, then fly back to California, meet up with Justin (thenomadlife) for the final leg of his exodus biking back to the Midwest….
Yeah, that sounds nice.
Problem… $... or is it? I could just get jobs along the way when I need too, if you know me, you know that pinching pennies is a skill… I seriously want to do something like this, but it’s also scary and I would miss my family…
Other reasons I want to go: Matt
I think Jesus was a couch surfer... Matt 8:20
Rebuke me friends,
Love,
Colin
