Getting Comfortable

After a week and a half of nosebleeds and chapped lips, miserable headaches and unobtainable hydration levels, followed by two weeks of cough and runny nose, I've finally become comfortable calling these snow-capped Rocky Mountains my new home!  It was a "rocky" start, but I'm officially acclimated and loving it.  The thin air up here does somehow lend to a cleaner energy that I haven't experienced before.  I wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day, especially if I go riding first thing.  That's a sure way to get the blood flowing!

Riding Peak 8 in the morning

Work has gotten better.  I've worked my way from "AM Pizza Guy" to "PM Saucier" in a period of a few weeks, which allows me to ride in the mornings.  At first, I was pretty miserable working from 8 - 5 with no ride breaks - getting to work before the lifts start running, leaving after they stop - but after some persistant persuasion and a few solid first dinner specials, I've locked in my position at night.  Now I try to ride in the mornings as much as possible.

Ye Olde Workplace, Seven's Restaurant on Peak 7

There's this program that Vail provides to all passholders (employees included) that keeps a tally of how many vertical feet you ride in a season, as well as any pictures you get taken of you on the mountain.  It does this by scanning your pass each time you board a lift or have a photo taken, and the info is automatically transferred to an online profile.  Isn't technology scary?!  But it's pretty cool.  Today I got about 10,000 feet before coming down to write and get cleaned up before work.  So far this season I've done about 140,000 ft in 12 riding days or so.  It's kind of awesome to see how much you've really done each day.

Anyway, back to the restaurant.  One of the most interesting things about the place I work is its location.  The main lift on Peak 7, as you can see above, is located just outside our front door!  I can literally ride straight to work if I want to!  Usually, though, I take the gondola up from town, which looks something like this:

Pretty tight right? The view is great, especially of 10 Mile Range (there are 10 peaks, which is where Breck is located: Peak 7 - Peak 10.  They'll be opening Peak 6 to the public in the next year or two, but for now it's hike only).  There is also the chance of seeing some wildlife on your way up the gondola. Many people, including my roommate, have told me they've seen a large bull moose directly under the gondola just after the midstation.  I've been looking every day, but since I'm usually riding the gondola at 2 p.m. instead of early in the morning, I don't get to see the animals on a regular basis.

Moose.  Yeah, that's plural.

Even though I haven't seen the moose under the gondola, I did get to see him walk across the base area of Peak 7 with his little girlfriend the other day.  This single act was probably the final event that solidified my acceptance to Breckenridge.  Once you've seen the moose, you're in!  (unless you're on vacation...that doesn't count.  And it's unfair to the locals.  He's our moose!)



Ok, enough about the moose.  The town of Breckenridge is incredible as well.  The Main Street, which reminds me undoubtedly of King Street in Boone, is filled with old historical buildings that have been converted into shops and eateries, some of which are quite nice.  Between the shops there are newer-looking shopping centers that offset the old wood of the rest of the town, and make it look a bit like the North Pole.

Shops downtown

Lots of festivities occur in this downtown area of Breck throughout the winter.  Ullr fest last month, a festival celebration of the Norse God of Ice & Snow, marked a milestone in Breck (and World) History: the longest EVER group shot-ski.  If you don't know what that is, a shot-ski is a ski with four shot glasses fastened to it, so four people can simultaneously take a shot.  Down Main Street, they lined up over 300 people with 60+ skis and took the largest shot-ski of all time.  Yes, we are proud.  

A couple weeks ago we had the International Snow Sculpting competition, which was pretty freaking sweet. Teams from all over the world took 12x12x15 ft blocks of snow and converted them into everything from giant Faberge eggs to Mongolian warriors (which won, check my FB album for pics).  Besides all the festivals and shops, the view from Main St. is pretty sick.  You can pretty much see the whole resort!  From the park on the East side of the street you can literally see all of 10 Mile Range.  Not bad.




So now that I'm getting comfortable here, I've decided that I can't let myself get BORED!!  Too many people seem to associate comfort with boredom.  Or maybe their idea of contentment seems boring to me, I don't know.  But what I do know is that there's a lot to offer in these mountains, and I'm going to do my very best exploring, learning and discovering what I can from them in these next three months before I go.

View of Breck from the Imperial Lift - 13,000 feet.

To close, a quote from a new book I'm reading on travel.

“...Your state of mind must allow for new ideas and new experiences, for tolerance and humor, must be willing to accept some discomfort, insecurity and risk.  Basically, you say yes to life, all of it, a whole spectrum, as opposed to the narrow sliver we get to be so content with.”

- Ed Buryn

The Frustration of "Wanderlust"

Recently I've found myself struggling with a conviction that I can't seem to shake from my daily perception of the world around me.  Though I hate the word, as it's become a sort of idealistic mantra for people who want to proffer an air of enchantment, it seems that "wanderlust" is really the best fitting title for this bothersome awareness.

The Mayan ruins at Tikal, Guatemala.

I'd say it started in March of 2012 (last year) when I returned from a five-month trip through Central America with my girlfriend Brittany.  At first, I had the stereotypical "reverse culture-shock" that apparently occurs after a long stay outside the country.  I slept on the floor next to my bed because my mattress was too soft; I couldn't relax in my own room because there were just too many things cluttered all around; I couldn't find joy in the mundane life I had returned to, where each day was the same as the one prior.  It took a solid two or three months before I felt normal in my society again.  I slowly got used to the working life, and slipped gradually back into my comfort zone as a mid-twenties working-class American: work all day, party all night.  But this time something was different; it just wasn't enough anymore.  No matter how many friends I saw or how many games of beerpong I played, I just couldn't feel satisfied!

Walking up to Earth Lodge, Antigua, Guatemala

I went back to school in June to finish my writing degree, which I had postponed since 2010.  In December of 2012, I graduated with a BA from Appalachian State University and quickly moved to Breckenridge, CO to work out the snowboarding season.  And when I say quickly, I mean quickly -- I took my last exam on the 12th of December and flew out to CO on the 19th!  I've been here just over three weeks now and I'm truly enjoying it.  It took about five days of crushing altitude sickness (which felt like the worst hangover of my life) to get acclimated to the 10,000+ feet of vertical gain, but once that passed I was stoked to be here and ready to strap in and hit some powder runs!

A sunny day at Keystone Resort.

Since I've been up here I've gotten about eight days of riding in, and I'm looking to raise that number on a daily basis now that my legs are broken in!  It's been fun getting to know the mountains (mainly Breck and Keystone), but I'm already finding that as I get familiar with these peaks, they quickly become monotonous to ride.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but already I'm getting burned out on these slopes!  It seems so premature, and yet I've always had this problem.  I think that built into human nature is an innate sense of discovery, and once the unknown is uncovered, it is no longer as exciting.  And yet, as I get older I see more and more people living amicably (or seemingly so) in a familiar daily routine.  Not that this is a bad thing; it's been proven that routine and ritual are necessary for human existence.  But it seems so counter-intuitive to the desire for discovery!

Getting ready to surf El Punto in Santa Catalina, Panama

Recently I've found myself talking to friends about their future plans and having this desperate urge to cry out "No, you fool!  Don't trap yourself in that, get out while you still can!"    Of course, I feel terrible for having this sentiment toward my friends' goals and ambitions.  But I can't help it!  When someone tells me they're planning to stay at their job for five years, or ten, or even one for that matter, I want to gag at the thought.  It sounds like torture, being stuck in one place doing the same thing over and over for years on end.  I suppose some jobs would provide enough stimulation to keep your interest piqued for a period of months or years (i.e. "skydive instructor" or "hot air balloon guide").  But these people I'm referring to do not have these sorts of jobs!

Semuc Champey, Guatemala

I guess the point of my rant is to convey this:  the world is HUGE!  Nobody could possibly ever see all of it...which means you could spend every day living a new adventure.  Of course, money is always a factor.  But it's not as out of reach as you think!  If you're willing to fight through a few months of working 9-5 while eating rice and beans twice a day and putting most of your paycheck in the bank, you can go anywhere you want!  And jobs are everywhere too.  You can work while you travel to extend your stay, even if means working just a few hours a day.  It's worth it!  And it doesn't have to be boring either; try something new...that's the whole point!  There's a lot to see out there, and it's not as difficult (or scary) as it seems.  The people you meet and experiences you have will each change you as a person, and help you to appreciate this world even more!

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

So I guess that is where my frustration comes in.  I find myself with this insatiable appetite for adventure, and I feel that the excitement of discovery is something everyone should experience and appreciate.  But how do you tell someone who has it all planned out, and has a sense of security in that plan, that they are missing out on a fundamental key to happiness?  You just CAN'T!  Why?  Because happiness comes in different forms for all people, and you can't tell someone that yours is the right way.  It would be arrogant to assume that I know what's best for anyone else.  Some people want to establish themselves in a place and start a family, work towards a higher standing in their career.  That makes many people happy, and I would never call that false happiness.  But this blog isn't for those people.  This blog is for the people who feel that something is missing, that something else is out there for them and they won't be satisfied until they go looking!

All I can do is put these ideas out there and hope that someone -- anyone who may be feeling like their current position just doesn't quite fulfill their innermost curiosities -- can get inspired to go look for happiness through discovery.  Whether it be down the street or on the other end of the globe, I can guarantee that you won't be fully fulfilled until you satisfy your inner "wanderlust."

And remember - once the adventure starts, it never has to stop!