Started as a year long self-improvement quest in. Now I’m just bringing you my brilliant thoughts, epic outdoor adventures, and other really fuckin’ cool stuff.
Last Sunday, my adventure bro, Austin, and I hiked/scrambled up to Vesper Peak, and then, after a little photoshoot and some lunch, we decided to attempt the double summit of Sperry and hiked the ridge line traverse over to the neighboring peak.
After getting there, we were at a loss for where the trail actually was. We attempted every single logical route up this absurd mountain and found that what was described in our beta as a Class 2 scramble was more or less a solid Class 4-5+ with an overgrown and impassable tree-hat sitting atop. A few misleading cairns, with large loose rocks, and moss and dirt on otherwise potential routes. Without ropes, and after sitting in some definite no falls zones, it was a decent and frustrating challenge.
Finally, after hours of carefully scrambling up and down the different cracks and crevices, our route finding skills were taxed, my shoulder was aching and unable to pull me up another rock, my feet were killing me from walking on talus for the entirety of the day (especially after being relatively less active than usual), and the sun was getting lower in the sky as the dense fog was starting to roll into the valley beneath us. As we eyed the last potential route, that was, from where we were standing, a seemingly easier Class 3, we decided enough was enough and both called it a day.
Heading back to the parking lot with only half of the day’s mission accomplished, I was pretty irritated that we didn’t make it… but sometimes, that is just the way it goes and we both live on to go on our next adventure.
With Vesper only taking 2.5 hours up, we figured we’d be up and down in no time at all… But 8+ hours, 5800+ feet of gain and 10.4 miles later, my computer seat dwelling COVID bod had bonked.
Still, even with the setbacks, it was all-in-all a frickin’ awesome day.
The second half of this week my ADHD has been a bit of a motherfucker. Last week’s travel with the addition of coming off of an ethanol-fueled week has been a hinderance to my focus, productivity and emotional states. I have been a little rough around the edges in the 72 hour following my return and it took me until this morning to truly get my brain back in working order. With that said, I am BACK BABY! And, now, I’m feeling like I’m in a place where I can start executing and further defining my plan of attack over the coming months and year.
When I got back from Denver on Tuesday night, there was a package waiting on my doorstep. In that package were two books, both the same, titled Principles by Ray Dalio. One of my closest friends, and somewhat of a mentor/older brother figure in my life, Erik, had sent me this read as we have been discussing some challenges with mental health and one another’s personal growth over the last couple months (he’s seemingly much farther along than I). Since last year he has sent me a couple of books – see previous post – that have been insanely helpful, to the point of prompting this journey, and so he sent me Principles to read and deconstruct together. He also figured that if he sent both copies to me it would force us to actually meet up. Ironically, and so far unbeknownst to him, I had purchased this book at the airport bookstore in Denver the same day. Great minds work alike! Or, is it think alike? Whatever. I gifted the copy I had purchased to my friend Adam who was watching my dogs while I was away, as I already intended on buying him a book in the same vein.
So far, this is a very insightful read, and not only at establishing principles, but also as a timeline of economics over the last 50 years (I’m not very far into it – Chapter 3 – but so far I am getting a synopsis of Ray’s life and the events that shaped him and his business). It’s a great overview for a dumb fucker like myself who truly has no grasp on economic markets, how they operate, trading, commodities, bonds… Blah. I could take a nap. Surprisingly, however, it’s been quite the page turner in the little time that I’ve put in; either that or my reading abilities are slowly increasing. Probably a mix of the two. See bottom of page for other books I’m reading if you care to know.
Quotes from Principles that I like so far:
“You better make sense of what happened to other people in other times and other places because if you don’t you won’t know if these things can happen to you and, if they do, you won’t know how to deal with them.” – Ray Dalio, Principles.
“There’s always risks out there that can hurt you badly, even in the seemingly safest bets, so it’s always best to assume you’re missing something” – Ray Dalio, Principles.
“It’s smarter to start with what you really want, which are your real goals, and then work back to what you need to attain them. Money will be one of the things you need, but it’s not the only one and certainly not the most important one once you get past having the amount you need to get what you really want.” – Ray Dalio, Principles.
“…meaningful work and meaningful relationships were and still are my primary goals and everything I did was for them. Making money was an incidental consequence of that.” – Ray Dalio, Principles.
Yesterday I decided I have to stop what I have currently been doing for money as soon as I can and find a different way to make some bank. I am stressed beyond belief, don’t like the uncertainty and inconsistency of these paychecks, and am ready to buckle down and get something else going. I need a thinking cap because the flipside of that coin is going back to work for another corporation that could lay me off at any given moment – like my last two positions prior did. I guess that’s partly why I’m doing this whole sobriety challenge/year-in-review thing anyway. I feel like I am purposefully making myself uncomfortable in a way I never really have and creating homework that I should actually enjoy doing. I mean, that’s the mission and that’s all positive. I just need the money to follow because being broke in this world is a bitch and I’m quite fed up of not having a solid nest egg and not being able to go heli-skiing in Revelstoke whenever I want. I think Nas said that; at least that’s the white guy cliff notes as I doubt Nas would be interested in hitting the slopes with Tanner Hall or Sage Cattabriga-Alosa… I could be wrong.
Speaking of year-in-review and sobriety; I think I am going to make a change to the year of sobriety and change it to sobriety until I finish my trek to Patagonia. So, One Year No Beer, may turn into a longer period… Thoughts?
I think the Physical Health portion of this challenge is going to be the easiest part. I mean, how hard is it to open the front door and run to the gym for an hour or so? Today I had a KICK ASS workout. Front squats, squats, deadlifts, calf raises, 20 minutes cardio. We went heavy and I was able to squat 315 for the first time in a while. Yesterday I incline pressed 95 lb dumbbells for 4 reps and my shoulder didn’t bother me much at all. Today I was a little low on energy, as I fasted this morning and didn’t have any caffein until after I ate a delicious post workout poke lunch with my friend and workout partner, Jarell. I’m feeling strong and like I’m almost detoxed from a week of solid binging. Next week and this weekend are going to rock, but I’ll save that for my Sunday night blog which will include things I need to work on and goals for the week.
6 positives for the week:
Getting to hang out with my brother, his friends and my family continuing one of the best weekends of my life into the week.
Consistently writing, journaling and reading.
Setting up my blog and YouTube accounts properly to get this process all started.
Eating better as of Wednesday night. Salads were so necessary and I’m already seeing the beer weight drop off after only two workouts.
Amazing friends who pick me up from the airport (Nate & Joss), put me through killer workouts (Jarell), watch my dogs for me (Adam & Bri), and send me books to help me become a better version of myself (Erik). Thank you all! <3’s
Ran a mile in 6:58! That’s the fastest I’ve done in years. I typically never run, but hey, I’m getting back at it now!
Random Mentions:
Here’s a picture of my brother after he saw his house turned upside down:
(For the reference, please see: https://alifetosummit.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/estes-park-the-wedding-my-last-day-of-sobriety/ ). Everyone involved had a great laugh.
My friend Brandon sent me this and I thought it was pretty original & hilarious:
For focus I have been listening to this track on repeat and holy shit can I buck out some writing and tasks when it is playing. I just randomly found it while listening to a playlist on Apple Music. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty dope.
And, lastly, in case you are curious, here is a list of what else I am currently reading:
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell for fiction.
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – I listen to this on tape while I drive or workout.
Tao of Seneca for a daily thought booster (also a Tim Ferris recommendation).
52 Small Changes for the Mind by Brett Blumenthal – a once a week read (one chapter/week) to help improve mental health over the course of a year (also purchased for me by Erik)
Adam (my friend mentioned above), also gave me the Tao of Pooh to read after having a discussion on stoicism and eastern theologies… I haven’t added that to the list quite yet, but it’s on my nightstand.
Me, looking like a scrub, explaining my mission. This is somewhat redundant, as I wrote this out in the first post, but some stuff has changed a bit, and I wanted a video for my YouTube channel.
I don’t know why I didn’t mention this in my first post, having given Tim Ferris so much credit for his work Tools of Titans I completely overlooked another book that is very much responsible for this “quest” I am taking on. That book was gifted to me by my good friend, Erik. A soon to be repeating theme of this blog.
Chris Guillebeau penned an awesome book about taking on a quest and although I am not walking across Argentina without shoes on my feet and with a bindle holding all my belongings on my shoulder; I definitely took some solid ideas from Chris’ book The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest that Will Bring Purpose to Your Life.
I think because I didn’t fit into the same categories as others in his book, I neglected to mention this brilliant piece of work. If you are looking for a motivating read, this book will give you some insight into other people who are stirring for a change. Again, I am just quitting booze and focusing on self improvement, but the leveling up concept was definitely taken right out of his book. Although, I did read about it in a chapter of Tools of Titans, too. That was probably where part the confusion lay.
So, I’m not that original. Sue me.
Also, after joining Chris’ mailing list, he emailed me directly and was very kind and responsive in his email. In my opinion, that says a lot about an author. Pick up his book and give it a read.
What a trip that was. An absolutely beautiful wedding nestled on the edge of the Rocky Mountains and the surrounding foothills in Estes Park. Family and friends of the bride and, my brother, the groom, also, of course, being my family, filled the seats and the reception. Elk roamed the streets. I walked away from my five-night stay there with new friends and an urge to go back and explore a new National Park that filled me with intrigue and excitement.
(Yes, I’m aware that I look like my father)
The air was thin and we did nothing short of drink our silly faces to death. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to hike. Mary’s Lake Lodge, where we stayed, had an elevation near 8000′ before even entering the much higher Rocky Mountain National Park, and I’m unsure how great of a hike it would have been considering the short period of time we had to acclimate. We did, however, drive into the park and up to nearly 12,000′ before deciding to turn around due to my sister, Cassie, feeling quite ill from the elevation. In substitution of a hike, I scrambled my way up a large boulder in an attempt to get as scenic of a view as I could. My Under Armor shoes really weren’t meant for this type of climbing and I got a little nervous of slipping out of a foothole so I turned back before reaching a true summit point. It was still fun, though, and gave me a small amount of adventure beyond a drive fueled by petro.
I did make a speech both the night of the rehearsal and the wedding night as well. It was not the practice to do the latter, but Jake’s friends had pre-planned to do a hilarious collage of movie quotes to intro my speech, so I prepared a short and sweet homage to my little brother and his beautiful wife. Then we danced like we lost all lucidity until they pushed us into the lodge’s bar, and then, after the bar closed, an after-hours house party at my brother’s college friends’ rental. Sunday was rough.
Monday we traveled back to Denver and after sharing my last beer with my brother at Lefthand Brewery and saying our fair wells, we met up with my little sister, Cassie, and her boyfriend, Zach. She looked at me with a huge smile as I walked in the door and yelled, “IT’S YOUR LAST DAY DRINKING, WE’RE GETTING YOU SOOO FUCKED UP!”
She succeeded. Thanks, Cass (She’s the blond one below).
Once the beers started flowing, we named the night: ONE YEAR, NO BEER… Or, more so, I named it such as I screamed at my Snapchat friends and continually got drunker and drunker with every snap. My sister’s Snapchat storyline is even better than mine.
The night started at an upscale restaurant in Denver where my brother and his friends work, we were quite underdressed. From there, the night moved to the RiNo neighborhood of Denver; a very cool part of town with buildings covered in beautiful murals by artists with a graffiti-type art style (Some of the pieces can be seen in my Snapchat video). Super dope. Jake’s friends Josh, John James and Alex all made the night exceptional by showcasing the highlights of their city and entertaining excellent conversation. They took us to have a nibble on the “Best Burger in Denver,” to their humble abode, to an art-walk, to a punk-rock bar called Matchbox. We closed that fucker out with Brandi, my girlfriend, somehow convincing the entire bar to take a picture together.
Then we took a Lyft back to my brother’s apartment where we finished the night by offering a homeless man named Terry a granola bar (he didn’t accept it) and then flipping everything in my brother’s house upside down. I thought this was funnier than it probably was and I woke up the next morning hating my life before Brandi got me out of bed. (Video Below is of us flipping everything in my brother’s house upside down, be warned… this is my last night drinking at probably about 3/4 AM and it is explicit.)
The next morning marked the start of sobriety. After a hellishly painful first day, I have finally made it to Day 3 of 365 without a drop of booze. So far I have also not smoked any ganja, though that may change at some point.
Thanks to everyone who made this trip incredible! I’ll post more pictures once I receive them from my brother and other family members. I am sure there are some gems.
My younger brother, Jake, gets married on Saturday. I am his best man and am absolutely stoked for the upcoming adventure out to Estes Park in Colorado. The daunting task of writing a loving and crowd-pleasing speech is still weighing on my shoulders as I have procrastinated my way through week after week of the now-gone summer. It’s all good, I’ll get it done.
This is my first blog post. I am going to be doing this blog now for the foreseeable future as I delve back into writing consistently and a quest (of sorts) that I have decided to take on. That quest is to stop drinking for an entire year starting after my brother’s wedding. This is not because I feel like I am an alcoholic, although tendencies have been established, but instead because I am in need of some focus and think that removing this distraction is going to get me closer to my goals in life.
To make this experience more engaging for myself, I have borrowed from others and used their positivity and lessons to create my own structured plan. One of those people I am learning from is Tim Ferris and the many astounding people in his book, Tool of Titans, which has had a profound impact on me in the last couple months as I have moved from gainfully employed to home business owner.
Here’s my current thoughts on how I will structure my plan of execution to become sober and more focused in the coming 12 months:
1. There will be four different aspects I am categorizing everything I do in my life into during this challenge. Mental Health; Physical Health; Creativity; Financial/Career. Everything I do is going to be to improve myself within those categories. I will journal about this daily and post a blog on my progress as I go. (I am going to go into deeper detail on this in another post)
2. Removing negativity and growth hinderance. I also am going to look through those four columns stated above and work to remove the things that are hindering the growth of that particular category. For instance, what keeps me from being creative? Television & video games are two things that come to mind. So, those are going to be either removed entirely from my daily routine or rationed out based on performance in other areas.
3. At the end of my year I am going to have a large reward. Right now I am leaning towards a trip to Patagonia. But that is not quite good enough. I need to further define what is going to happen on that trip and build upon it to create an ultimate goal. Something like, backpack 150 miles through the Gloopedy Dupedy peaks (Don’t know the name of the peaks in Patagonia) and summit so-and-so mountain. That’s more what I am looking for and what I am currently researching
4. I am going to use whatever reward I have chosen as the thing I train for during this time of sobriety.
Now, back to my little brother. I couldn’t be more proud of him. And, being his bigger brother is a reward in and of itself. My entire family will be present and I can’t wait to have a last hoorah as we celebrate him tying the knot with an awesome gal. I plan on getting white girl wasted. It’s my last go anyway!
aLifetoSummit 