One foot placed before the next

Back in Baltimore.

I was hanging out in the Red and not really getting psyched. Not sure why. But in any case, it seemed logical to leave the Red for a moment and return to Baltimore for a spell. So far, Baltimore is, more or less, just as I left it. Most of my friends are still here living their lives and doing their things. It has been great to get to see most of them again.

I have not been back to Baltimore since January earlier this year, and even then it was just for a couple of days. I think it will be nice to spend a little bit of time here again and be afforded the opportunity to really see everyone that I miss in the area. I have been climbing at the gym I used to work at a bunch in the last couple days. I forgot how different the setting style there is from what I am used to. They are fantastic problems and the angles are really nice, but, yet, still different. It definitely will take a little re-adjusting to feel strong in there again.

Incidentally, I climbed something taller than 40 feet for the first time since leaving the Red last year the other day. It is amazing how weird it feels to get pumped on a route after not feeling the sensation of intense burning in your forearms for over a year. I think it is definitely an awesome feeling to push through all of that and hang on for as long as possible, but I am still rather partial to short rocking. I will forever remain faithful to my love for lowball boulder problems and short, powerful, in your face roped routes. I think there is something to be said for sending a climb that contains the single hardest move your body is capable of completing.

I went out for a night on the town with my roommate from college last night. Some friends of his were having a showcase at a local bar. One group and skaesque jam band, the other a hip-hop artist. Both sets were awesome. They got me to thinking, once I settle down somewhere an extended period of time again, I am going to try to tour the local bar scene while wearing my musician hat. I really miss making music. After that we went to a kind of sort of dive bar where I was spoiled by getting to try four brand new gnarly stouts and discover the best pretzel shoppe in all of Baltimore afterward. All in all, a good night I think.

What is next? It is hard to say I think. I am vigorously trying to ascertain the nature of my next move in life, but heretofore it is unclear overall. I imagine the key is just living life and letting things unfold as they may, but I have a hard time accepting that. So, here I am. There is an answer somewhere, and I intend to find it. Until then, I have good friends, good times & good climbing to keep me occupied.

Home sweet home away from home

Thursday: San Diego to Big Spring, Tx - 1066 miles

----Slept in truck stop for 2.5 hours due to exhaustion

Friday: Big Spring, Tx to Lexington, Ky - 1168 miles

----Slept in a Wal-Mart parking lot so that I could visit Liquor Barn in the morning.

Saturday: Lexington, Ky to Slade, Ky - 55 miles

----A puddle jump

My goodness it is good to finally be back to my second home. Whether it is from a sense of nostalgia or simply the desire to not have my toes pressed upon an accelerator I am unsure, but the culminating result is the same nevertheless: It is good to be in Kentucky.

The trip was long and brought me to the brink of delirium at times, but luckily I had some good friends to keep me company via the air waves when I needed it. There were a few near mishaps and misadventures, but nothing major. I did see some fun things though. There were billboards with quotes written by G-d such as, "If you are going to curse, please take your own name in vain;" a drive-thru liquor store called "Beer:30," a trailer with "Candle Factory" spray painted on it, and a small collection of other interesting sights. I will try to post some photos from the drive in the near future.

I got in bright and early on Saturday and got to see all of my friends that I have sorely missed. Miggie and company have done a ton of remodeling since the last time I was here. It all looks awesome. I came strolling into town during the annual Rocktoberfest climbing festival put on by the Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition (RRGCC) with the help of locals, sponsors and other interested parties. On a side note, if you have or will ever climb/ed at the Red or are just psyched on helping keep the Red open, check out the RRGCC's website at www.rrgcc.org and see the ways you can help keep the Red an amazing place to climb.

Last night I enjoyed the festivities with good friends and live bluegrass in the background. The party was an amazing success. There were tons of vendors, awesome food, great music, beer from Avery brewing, and so many other awesome things going on. I of course indulged throughout the evening, volunteered for a little bit & subsequently fell asleep at my buddy's cabin.

Second day in the Red, no climbing yet. I did roll my ankle a little bit while screwing around on the woody made for the dyno comp and campused on some rafters, but that is about it. Tomorrow: climbing blowout for sure. I need to get on some rock and test the current measure of my mettle. Hopefully it is high. There is, of course, only one way to find out though.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Here I am in San Diego. The plan is simple: to travel through the country, enjoy life, find myself & attempt to figure out what I want from my future. First stop - Austin, Texas followed soon thereafter by my second home: Slade, Kentucky.

After spending the past few days with amazing friends and having a blast, it is finally time to depart. The epoch has proven difficult as I am still in San Diego despite having originally planned on leaving almost a week ago. Nevertheless, the time has come, as a blubbery mammal once said, to take my leave of Southern California and head back to my roots in the "Dirty South."

All of my worldly possessions are all packed up and ready to be placed neatly in my truck to accompany me upon my journey. Once again, as it was on my way out to Southern California from Baltimore over a year and a half ago, everything I own is packed and ready to go with me. No strings. No ties. No requirements. No direction.

Aside from the obvious trepidation that comes with such a trip, I am also apprehensive to see how my ability as far as climbing is concerned stacks up to where it was before I left Kentucky in the first place. I feel as though I am stronger; but given that I stopped climbing when I moved to California and, thus, have nothing to gauge my ability on, I am uncertain. There were a small handful of projects left undone when I bowed out from the Red last year that I would really love to be able to do. All I can do is wait and see how things turn out at this point I suppose.

I have had to say a few hard goodbyes, but that is life I guess. I have travelled and moved from place to place my whole life, so breaking ties is nothing new; but it is still hard to do. To all of my friends in San Diego, thanks for being awesome. To all of my friends in Kentucky, be ready to hate me. To all of my friends in Baltimore, begin preparing now.

In any case, the point of this is to let anyone who cares to look know what is going on with me during my journey and thereby share my adventure with them. Also, should anyone in the industry who has the power to do so feel so inclined as to throw a little shwag my way to help an aimless dirtbag, I am in no way against shameless advertising. I will attempt to keep this blog nonsense up to date and interesting, and hope that, in turn, my friends, family and whoever else decides to indulge in a perusal of my various diatribes gets something positive from it.

Until next time, you stay classy San Diego.