It’s funny—whenever I stop travelling, and settle down
somewhere for a bit, I also stop writing blog posts. I guess that’s because, in
a superficial way, life feels a lot less interesting when you’re bedded down in
one location. Whether I’m living in Utah or Montana, I’m less inclined to take
photos, and also less inclined to share anything on the blog.
But I realize that’s a strange and inaccurate way to look at
it. Because in the last 3-4 years—even though I’ve been to a bunch of places,
and climbed on a lot of random rocks—the lifestyle I’ve been living is pretty
monotonous—even if it was pretty sweet for a while!
Climb, rest & work, repeat. Always chase dry weather, and
never spend too much money. Work in a café all day, milking the purchase of a single
drip coffee. Add in a bit of “getting rained out,” “camping and cooking in
really cold weather,” and “sleeping uncomfortably,” and the picture gets a
little less idyllic.
So here I sit in Bozeman, having not touched a real rock in
nearly two months (gasp!). And, though it would be a total lie to say I don’t
pangs of nostalgia looking at friends’ climbing photos, it would also be a
gross untruth to say that I’m bored or even well-rested.
Since coming to Montana in November,
David and I have had a
great time opening our lives up to the Wonderful World of Non-climbing Adventures!
We’ve been getting outside to sled, run and x-c ski. I’ve been working a lot,
and doing it in a comfortable spot right by the wood stove. And this winter, we’re
actually really psyched every time it snows.
We’ve been building problems at the climbing gym, and even
getting to know some of the folks there. We’re eating better than ever, with easy
access to a grocery store and a fridge. We've been spending lots of time with family! And we’ve recently both committed to
the mandatory half-year contract at the local MMA gym, where we’ve been mostly taking
Brazilian jiu jitsu. Sweet!
From a climbing perspective, both
David and I are really
excited about the chance to have an entire season to focus primarily on
training. Yes, yes, we train during climbing season—but the honest truth is
that, even if we train regularly during climbing season, the training always
takes somewhat of a back seat. Naturally, I’m having somewhat of a hard time
avoiding a mental dip not knowing
what I’m
training for… but I also think it’s totally natural to fall into a slump during
this cold, dark and cozy time of year.
So, in a nutshell, that’s why I haven’t been posting
anything. But whatever! I’m sure I’ll get outside and climb a rock at some point
in the future. And I'll take a picture of it, and post it here for you to see. Meanwhile, it’s wood stoves and indoor climbing for me!
