Seeing as how I’ve officially tendered my resignation from WSI, effective, July 29, I thought it would be fitting to post an update on the plans for my big adventure. I’m filled with lots of different emotions these days as my time in Iraq winds ever so slowly to a close. I’m looking forward to some time and space from here to get some much needed perspective on the whole thing. We’ve been super busy and its been nice to see just a bit more fire before hanging up this helmet putting this career on the shelf.
Never worry though, there has been plenty of time to keep dreaming about and planning what I am now calling the “Prologue.” I leave Iraq on July 31 and will be spending the majority of August and September travelling. This isn’t the official start of my road trip, hence the term Prologue, but rather a chance to get out, get reacquainted with the non war-world, myself, my family, friends and also the rock. My first stop, after landing in Seattle and making a run for the border, is Squamish. If all goes well I’ll be meeting up with a nice fella I met when I pimped myself in the online climbing forums, to climb in the area and kill some time waiting for MY MOM to make it to Vancouver. I’m so psyched she is coming out to play with me! I think my parents get pretty exhausted following all of my adventures, so I’m so happy shes agreed to tag along on one! Good on ya mama!
After a couple weeks there Ill finally be heading back east to Washington DC. By then I will have been away from “home” for just shy of 12 months. Ill be around for enough time to check in with the rest of the family, share many margaritas with friends, head to NC to meet my best friends new son and rescue my climbing gear from safekeeping under her dress shirts in her closet. There will be boxes to move, clothes to purge, and dark leafy greens to eat. I’m going to try to squeeze in a quick trip up to the Gunks too, in order to give a huge supporter of mine a big hug and a safe belay.
What comes next is surely going to prove to be a packing nightmare. At the end of August I’m heading out to Yosemite to climb and camp amongst the giants with members of the super awesome Potomac Mountain Club. This will be my first climbing trip in quite awhile and I’m completely stoked for the location and the company. Objectives will be in both the Valley and Tuolumne and my goals are to relax, climb, and hopefully get back on the sharp end. Directly from there I’m heading back to Canada but more to the east to one of my favorite new places Canmore and the Banff National Park area. This is where the packing gets tricky.
Canada in September equals alpine. Well, for me it does. Well, at the very least it means unpredictable weather and conditions. Ill have to prepared for everything and while that’s not such a huge deal, I hope no one at Yosemite eyeballs me for my ice axe and crampons tucked away in my bag assuming that I think Ill be using them there in August. Furthermore, I’m super excited about all of the excess baggage fees I’m going to be paying as I fly around North America in circles. I’ll be spending the balance of September in Alberta hooking up with semi-new, new, and brand new friends before ultimately heading back to the east coast of the US.
Come October it will be time to purchase a vehicle; van or truck, the jury is still out, call it my home and hit the road. That’s when things will get really interesting. I’m trying not be overwhelmed about heading out into the great abyss so I’ve decided to think of my trip as a climbing route. Make small moves. Make one move and the next one will appear.
So for now, the move I’m focused on is getting out of the Middle East safe and enjoying the prologue.
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