Yes it has been far too long....

Did your mother ever tell you to stop frowning because if you held that face for too long it would get stuck like that? Well mine did.  I often wonder if life is like that.  If you stay too long in an unhappy situation, that becomes the norm.  Then you wake up one day and that seems normal.   Really the underlying question I have been asking myself lately is this, “what fuels the vagabond?” or rather, “why are some people comfortable with constant motion and others terrified of it?”

I have come to believe the thrill of adventure can overcome the fear of living a boring life.  There is nothing wrong with wanting security, and comfort, and consistency.  However, I have found that security, and comfort, and consistency fall into place much easier after someone has tested themselves against the elements of the world.  After I return home from a long trip, the running water tastes better; the morning paper reads more clearly, the laugh of my little sisters holds more magic. 

During the last three months I have had the opportunity to climb the Mexico Volcanoes, attempt big walls in Southern Patagonia, and ski champagne powder in Colorado.  While all these adventures are quite inspiring, the most influential part of all my travels are the people I meet and build relationships with along the way.  If you spend enough time around people that love adventure you will find they share a common love of one another.  For instance, I can arrive in Puerto Natales, Chile located on the southern tip of South America.  My Spanish is poor at best, and I walk into a local climbers pub and instantly have a connection with the local climbers simply because of our common love of the mountains and our general respect for one another.  Or I can arrive in Ouray, Colorado in the middle of the night after driving for twenty hours, knock on a friend’s door and have a warm place to stay.  The point I am attempting to make is this, “the people you breath, sweat, bleed, and share life with are the ones that make the adventures great.” Do not live in fear of becoming normal.  Live with the inspiration of having a great adventure with the ones around you.