Seems I only write after an extreme experience like hiking to the Maroon Bells alone in the winter, or jumping off cliffs into an ice cold mountain lake. Why don’t I write about the rest of my adventures like downhill mountain biking in Telluride, or surfing in California? They are pretty awesome stories too, but it’s weird writing about my life all the time, like I’m bragging or showing off or something. Maybe it’s because I’m picky, with unreasonably high expectations of myself. Or maybe it’s because I’m simply too lazy to sit down and do it. I think it’s a combination of all three, but I realized that each and every adventure is epic in it’s own way. The short bike rides in the woods, the intense sprint sessions by the river, even the quiet moments on top of a mountain I just climbed – every adventure has a story. That being said, not every story needs to be shared. Some I keep only for myself.

Too often I’m reminded of how short life is, and that it is meant to be lived with passion, not to be predetermined by guidelines or rules, and definitely not to be lived in fear. While maybe I’m never meant to fully understand why, I believe I seek adventure to feel like part of something bigger than myself. And maybe that’s what people seek in God… I’m not sure. Moments like being alone with the bears in the Aspen Wilderness in 4 feet of snow, exhausted, sunburned, sore and hungry give me a sense of insignificance. Feeling small and unimportant allows me to see my life from a greater perspective. This also explains my fascination with astronomy and the universe.

Ok, yes, hiking alone in those conditions was reckless, but I was pushed past every limit I thought I had, and it changed me, just like CrossFit did when I was training. Powerful experiences like these remind me that there are bigger and more important things than the petty situations I call “problems.” The most important thing I can do is live my life my way, not waste time on things that don’t matter, or people who don’t care, and to make my mark on the world. In other words, I don’t just want to play the game, I want to change the game. 

So even though I am going to keep most of my stories for myself, here are some pictures of what I’ve been up to.