A Journal of Movement
On Wednesday July 29th I’m hosing a slideshow and community forum for the Freewheel space in Leavenworth. The event will be held at the Red Barn at Wenatchee River Institute’s Barn Beach Reserve. If you’re in the area and want to be a part of this project I hope you can come by. It’s shaping up a great night that will help us create dialogue for the location of the stand, and generate fundraising to make sure we build something really nice for the town.
The video is grainy, shaky, and shot from my phone. I didn’t make it in a shot where I wasn’t pointing the camera at myself and I missed out on capturing the tough moments, hard conversations, deep belly laughs and silent tears. Looking back through all the footage it’s somewhat unbelievable what we accomplished. Not because we’re strong or smart or creative. It’s amazing because we managed to say no. No we’re not taking the easy way, we’re not looking for shortcuts. We set out to be deliberate, to do things simply, correctly, honestly. We managed to do this and more, to embrace our path, to pursue it with a devotion I’ve never before found. We’re not trying to set an example, to hold anything over another. Our goals are infinitely simpler than our lives: have fun, be happy, that’s about it. There’s a lot of the world to be seen, a lot of mountains to be climbed, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. I’d like to show it to you here, but I’m not that techy, so you’ll just have to click once more.
Sometimes you have weeks to plan, others you’ve just got minutes to pack. No matter what, when the time comes, the hammer falls, and you’re out the door. As ready as I thought I was leaving Leavenworth was still a shock. Amos made the journey down by plane and showed up with his bike, the lease was up, and a hard frost stifled any attempts at gleaning a last few days with the families that made Washington feel like home. The road sucked us in and knocked me off my feet before I knew what hit me.
As much as we all want to leave a room in tears of laughter, departures are a hard art to master. In my short life I’ve had a lot of practice leaving, but it still feels fresh and awkward every time. We’re here in Boise, resting with friends and preparing to set off on the next leg. I’d like to think I’ve got a few words of introspection to share with you after the experience of leaving Washington and our week of travel but if you’re short on time I’ll cut to the chase – it might just boil down to this: Welp – Big Gulps huh? See ya later! Continue reading “Departures”
We’re all seasonal creatures. Try as we might to insulate ourselves from the reality of winter, patterns change, and with them our habits and routines. Many of us chase the seasons from place to place, as if they are beholden to a specific location.
Every spring for the past ten years, I’ve rolled down the same small canyon in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. And every fall, I stumble back, penniless and parched for powder.
As the nights begin to cool and the days begin to shorten, my thoughts look forward to the winter ahead. But before the faceshots, before the early mornings and frozen toes, comes the migration. Continue reading “Migrations”
If you haven’t heard, wildfires have been taking over eastern Washington, with some half dozen different fires including the incredibly massive Carlton Complex which has torched over 215,000 acres to date. Coupled with a couple weeks of 100+ degree heat, and as my friend Scott put it best, it’s felt like a smoky oven. Needless to say, we’ve been laying low and doing our best to adapt to the situation at hand, things seem to be improving but I’m still skeptical for the future. For now, we’re enjoying a reprieve and I’m reflecting as well as looking forward to how and best balance this reality as it unfolds. Below you’ll find a few pictures from our weekend of clarity, and a few words regarding what it’s like living in a pressure cooker. If you’re into pictures or like your dose of crazy diluted as possible, remember to check us out on the Facebook and Instagram, where angry rhetoric is in short supply.
