This summer has been a wild ride. I’ve been slammed at work, as well as keeping an active adventure reel. I’ve been super fortunate to be able to do some awesome shit and go to some rad places. I bought a new car, partied at the lake, planned and drank my way through a float trip, went climbing outside of Denver, visited some of my oldest friends in Oregon, and drove around Costa Rica. And I’m going to Denver tonight!
I’m super blessed that I have had the opportunity and the funds to do all of these super fun things (though I’m definitely in the red, cash-wise, this summer). I’ve had an amazing summer and gotten to do and see so much crazy cool shit. Not too mention hang with some truly awesome people. I truly am lucky, and 2019 has been pretty incredible so far. I just wanted to share a brief highlight reel.
In my previous blog post, I talked about some of my climbing adventures and how climbing has changed me. And climbing out at Shelf Road outside of Denver was truly a terrifying and amazing experience. Thanks bro for always having my back and helping me crush climbs and workouts.
Getting to visit some of my closest friends in the Pacific Northwest was an awesome way to start the summer. We got to go on lots of challenging hikes, camp, have hot tub time, hang out at freezing cold alpine lakes, eat amazing biscuits and gravy, and celebrate my dear friend’s 28th birthday. An awful cold tried to stop me, but you only get so much time with your besties on vacay, right? And then there was the wasp that stung my right butt cheek. Not once. Not twice. But three times! Fuck me. Though, sometimes there has to be some bullshit to balance out all the great shit, right?
Then, there was floating and lake time. Getting to party and hang with all your homies on a body of water, whether that be a river or a lake, is like a beautiful rite of passage. Every summer that passes requires multiple booze-filled weekends of debauchery. Where the cold beer flows freely, the inhibitions are nearly non-existent and thankfully, the water is there to prevent death from that 100 degree heat. There were birthdays celebrated, going away parties to be had, many unfortunate injuries, rope swings, twerking, and way too much drinking. And I wouldn’t trade these crazy days for anything.
Finally, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visiting Costa Rica. It was a wonderful experience, and it was my first time in Central America. I got to travel around some stunning coastal cities with my bro and mom as well as getting to hang in San Jose. But damn, traveling with the fam did put a damper on my ability to experience that nightlife though. But, no partying made way for 6 AM wake ups and adventures. We had great weather for the rainy season, but I did come back with some gnarly heat rash on my face and chaffed legs. Despite all that, we hiked through the lush rainforests, hung with monkeys, surfed on black sand beaches, hiked around multiple gorgeous waterfalls, ate all the delicious foods, and tried with no avail to visit the tallest volcano in Costa Rica.
I hope you all have had a killer summer and have plenty of stories of your own to share. And even as summer is winding down, I hope that won’t diminish your adventurous spirit. Where to next?