Let It Begin...

I’ve been wrestling with how to blog from “over here.” Most the stuff that makes here interesting, you know the life changing, major experience, why you come to Iraq type stuff, I really shouldn’t be broadcasting on the Internet. Cheesy commercials on AFN remind me all the time about the need for this thing called “Operational Security.” So, I can’t write about things that happen here in case I accidentally divulge state secrets. Fair enough.

I could write about the interesting personalities of the folks that I work with here. And live with here. And eat all my meals with here. And basically spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with. But then again, I probably shouldn’t broadcast on the Internet what I think about said individuals either. They have Google too.

So that leaves me. I can write about me. I’m realizing now, that the things going on in my brain and during my day here might actually be worth sharing. As many of you know, those that have been following my Facebook updates, I’m on a mission. I’m in Iraq, working every day for approximately one year, so that I can leave here and not work every day for approximately one year. Seems like a fair trade off. You see right now, I’m a firefighter and a climber, that mostly just fights fire. Next year, Im going to be a firefighter and a climber, that mostly just climbs.

I’m going to take my “gap” year. That year off from the world that I should have taken 9 years ago between college and the real world. At the time, graduating from college in May and starting my first job on June 1 seemed like a great idea. And at the time it was. That job ultimately lead to my firefighting career which has been an amazing 9 years of experience, training, friendships, brother and sisterhood and something that I don’t for one second regret. But for now, I want a break. I’ll go so far to say, I need a break. In my heart, I am a rescuer. I may return to the profession, although, I anticipate that it wont be in a major urban environment . I’m sure I will always volunteer because the training and experience I have would be a terrible thing to waste and in the end, there really is nothing like riding a fire truck, pulling a hose line and knocking down a fire.

Come this Fall my plan is to hit the road. I want to spend time all over North America. I want to crash on the couches of old friends and new friends. I want to visit National Parks, State Parks, Provincial Parks, County Parks, and maybe a City Park or two. I want to climb my way around the US and Canada, training and pushing my limits, and hopefully expanding them at every opportunity. Meeting new partners, reconnecting with old ones and generally pursuing my passion of being outside, living simply, building relationships and getting vertical.

The planning and preparation for this upcoming journey has already begun in earnest. Diving into SummitPost, Mountain Project, guidebooks, and picking others brains as well as training my body and mind so that I can be ready to hit the ground running. Doing these things has been nearly the only thing that makes being in Iraq, away from family, friends, trees, liberals, and spinach seem tolerable.

So this is the beginning. I plan, for now, to blog about my training and preparation for my big adventure. I might throw in the occasional story from “over here” provided it doesn’t weaken our national defense or hurt anyone’s feelings. I hope it spurs dialogue about destination suggestions, available couch space, possible partners, training plans, nutrition advice, dirtbag vehicle recommendations, and anything else that might come up.

I have a few more months here to prepare and build the psych, but the plan is to thank Iraq for its time and hospitality sometime in August or September and split. I am so incredibly stoked for this journey, thankful for the opportunity, and keen to make the most of it. I hope if you are reading this you will somehow be a part of it.