we have all been there, at some point, thinking about where the time has gone. it seems, in the blink of an eye, time simply vanishes into memory. it has been nearly three months since is have even opened up this page to share. three months in the blink of an eye. and not only the last three months, but those prior! i mean, i had the intentions of finishing the story of the CANADIAN adventure, beginning a mostly true and unembellished tale of hiking for the better part of six months (that i started now over a year ago!) but that anniversary came and went. so now, exactly a month removed from that one year anniversary of staring at the MEXICAN border wondering what i was getting myself into, im finally looking back at and trying to explain myself for what has been happening lately. im not making excuses for my lack of sharing, or maybe i am, but what i am saying for certain is that life moves fast at times, and sometimes it moves slow. but once that time is past, it is gone, and when you look back on that time, it all happened in the blink of an eye. i just hope and strive to that when i do look back on that blink, it is one hell of a blink.
so what has been going on? i mean from a ten thousand foot level, juggling two part time jobs, and volunteering the remainder of my time away would be the short answer. but where is the fun in that? sounds like a pretty comfortable blink (and kinda boring) and im pretty sure this blog post doesnt have a character restriction.
so the two part times, totally my choice. i put myself in the position and i have a hard time saying 'no'. so i stretch myself a bit from that stand point, but it can be fun. mostly. i really didnt even realize how i was committing and over committing my time. until i looked back on the time and was like 'holy f', not how i was expecting to spend my time in the great PNW. but thats okay, thru a crazy roundabout way ill volunteer my time for the summer and put my valuable time towards something good and meaningful. i just need to pare back the part times and gain some balance so i have a little free time to enjoy all that the PNW has to offer during the 'its not raining every day' season. all easier said than done. and i can delve into what 'volunteering' for the summer means later, or in a different blog post rather. (lot of content to cover)
volunteering also meant moving. moving takes time. lucky for me i dont have much stuff. but still, it takes time. time to set up in a new place. clean, and clean out the old place. organize. find your rhythm. and do it all on a shoe string budget. but now im driving miles to the part time. biking is out of the question. gas and wear and tear on the jeep, sad day. need to find new sources of income. i miss working for myself. even on a really simple level, using words and photos wouldnt be so bad...once again tho, that takes time to set up, and that time just is not there. talk about a personal challenge, trying to get all this life stuff straight while not burning myself out. i dont know if i have ever been busier. but i have accepted that challenge and feel like i am making decisions to regain my balance. push my time management skills to the max, and still be flexible to get out and do something crazy every now and then. like thru hike the enchantment loop in early may, ice axe and all, or climb mt adams, or just kick it with some cool cats around a campfire on memorial day. whatever it is, i am loving life, every busy minute of it.
and now i am back to sharing it. partly for my own sanity but mostly because i love getting to share my experience with whoever finds themselves reading this.
more stories to follow. something about a long hike, time spent in the northwoods of MINNESOTA, a tiny house and a farm, mountain summits, and trip thru the enchantment mountains. to hit on a few...
carry on friends, and blink often. unless youre in a staring contest. then WIN!!!!
me too...
