David Ryder – Designer – Blog
experiences/narratives
Reflections in the sand
02 years ago
I’m laying down with nothing between myself and the sandy earth. Looking up at the black sky reveals an abundance of stars. The breeze is gentle and slightly warm. The sound of the Colorado river roars from the distance. Tonight is a special night to be watching the stars. There are the remnants of a meteor shower from previous evenings supplying me with a steady show of shooting stars. I have seen more than three dozen, sometimes they will scream across the sky disappearing in a blink of an eye while others float across lazily leaving a bright burning trail that lingers for several seconds. The lack of any city light – or any light for that matter – and the absolute clear sky makes for a rare view of the night sky.
The sky is so clear and the stars so plenty that they appear to form clouds in space. Maybe its the Milky Way. Its the eerie silence and lack of illumination that makes places like this so special. It makes me feel so alone in what is presenting itself as a universe larger than anything I am capable of fathoming. I am such a small part whose existence is as relatively short as the shooting starts painting the skies right now.
I’ve run out of wishes!
How blessed I am to be able to witness something so wonderful yet so simple. There are faint flashes of lightning so far in the distance that it carries no sound to me. As I lie here thinking about all the obstacles, chaos, and events the next five days will bring I find solace in the fact that my nights will be peaceful, lonely, and calming.
I feel inspired by so many different things but I believe that at the root of my inspiration is love. The universe is so vast yet I feel I like a shining beacon of love that is capable of touching every star and every object in the universe. I can only hope that the ones that love me can feel the touch of my love, even hundreds or thousands of miles away. Love is hardly explainable, or quantifiable. I believe it may go as deep as supernatural, spiritual. Something that is capable of touching your soul and the soul of another simultaneously. The energy for this love may be supplied by the stars in the universe. It may be supplied by God, something that every living thing is capable of experiencing on some level.
The peace brought on by lying under the stars, alone, miles from any city, is somewhat overwhelming. I feel emotions I don’t normally feel driving in my car or sitting behind a computer monitor. It has enabled me to connect to myself in ways not possible in a different – more hectic – environment. The time poverty I suffer in our fast moving society makes the reflection out here so rewarding – and likely necessary. We get so caught up in accomplishing the next task that we forget to take a moment for ourselves.
5-day water fast
02 years ago
There are a lot of forms of fasting. It can be a water fast – where only water is consumed. It can also be a fast from any one substance – be it caffeine, alcohol, meat, etc. Some entertain a fast by eating only fruits and vegetables for a given period. Another fasting method is a juice fast. During this period you drink water and a limited amount of 100% juice. This has the similar effects of a water fast but you are still getting energy to keep going comfortably. So this is just a small sample of fasts but any routine of frequent fasts will have profound effects on the health of your mind and body. Methodizing the refrain from certain elements in your diet and lifestyle will begin to instill strength, humility, will, increased health, prospective, and appreciation that will help keep your spirits lifted and your body healthy.
Fasting has always been included in many major religions worldwide. Orthodox Christians believe that fasting aids in the development of self-restraint, which is the source of all good. Mormons fast one Sunday a month to provide assistance to the needy through the contribution of fast offerings, reap the physical benefits of a fast, and to increase humility and spirituality. Muslims fast during daylight hours through the entire Ramadan to remind themselves of the poor, to cleanse the body, and to foster serenity and spiritual devotion.
People have been known to fast for upwards of 100 days. Now granted something of this caliber requires consistent rest, preparation, knowledge, and meditation and it’s not anything I would ever be interested in endeavoring. A five day fast is painful but relatively speaking it is a short fast. However, strength, resolve, and will are all increased and realized when one voluntarily subjects themselves to starvation for 5 days. Relatively large problems are quickly put into perspective. There is also the spiritual satisfaction that comes with making a sacrifice of that magnitude.
Physically speaking there are also many benefits. Detoxification occurs and the toxins that are cached in your digestive system will be cleansed. As fat is metabolized and processed for energy the toxins that were stored are released into the bloodstream and processed out. The palette is also cleared – helping to break the craving for some of these toxins as your body will be weened off of them. It is also believed that as the digestive system shuts down the healing process on your body begins as that energy is diverted to your immune and metabolism systems. Protein synthesis is also proven to increase during a fast – allowing for all protein creation to be directed towards healing.
Personally speaking the first two days are the worst. These are the days where your body hasn’t yet began to efficiently metabolize itself for energy. Extremely low energy, nausea, lightheadedness, dull headache, burning eyes, and hunger pangs all persist. After those first 48 hours energy begins – albeit it comes and goes in waves – to return and I feel a rush of resolve about everything come over me. It’s a very difficult feeling to explain but it’s sort of a complete inner-peace. At this point on the only discomfort is the hunger pangs.
My thoughts are filled with food but I am fairly clear-headed and I can feel the instillation of strength through my will to continue the fast. I try to conserve as much energy as possible however I know the more difficult the fast is the more beneficial and rewarding the completion of the fast will be. It is essential that I stay hydrated! Dehydration AND starvation have tremendous harmful effects on your body. With limited nutrition and energy sources it will be easy to fall into a downward spiral of tissue and cell damage. Cell and tissue damage caused by dehydration takes a lot of energy to repair. However it’s not difficult for me though as I keep my stomach full of water at all times to help subside the hunger pangs (full stomach).
After the 2.5 day mark my body begins to supply me with energy from self-metabolization and it is pretty much smooth sailing.
Awesome leisure reading regarding subject:
Religion and Dietary Practices, The Role of Fasting
Defeat
02 years ago
This may sound ludicrous, but I have never suffered defeat in an attempt to realize a goal. Ever. Until today. Lance and I had decided to summit Box Elder Peak in Lone Peak Wilderness (an area which is one of the gnarliest I have visited in UT). It was a 4000ft climb over approximately 5 miles and it wasn’t really a supposed to be a difficult hike. In fact, it wouldn’t have been if we were properly prepared and didn’t make such an error in judgment.
We gained A LOT of elevation in the first two miles. About 1500ft the first mile and 1000 the second mile. So this was exciting as we got the hard elevation gains out of the way, reserving energy for the summit. I didn’t bring my map so Lance was navigating with his GPS. We were staying on the clearly marked trail, but it came to Lance’s attention that we had started to walk away from the summit. Not knowing the exact route up we had to make a decision on how to approach the summit. We decided to go straight up and meet the ridge and follow it to the peak.
This was the error in judgment we made, and it cost us dearly. With a map we could easily see that the 600ft ridge we decided to walk up ends at a cliff and does not connect to Box Elder. In fact to reach Box Elder from the direction we went we would have had to drop down 800 ft and essentially start over. The traverse to the point where we realized this was very steep. According to my clinometer we were walking on a face whose upward angle varied between 40 and 60 degrees. We were traversing this face in an attempt to reach the ridge that would take us to the peak.
Walking across the face quickly became treacherous as the terrain turned into large fields of scree and loose, dry dirt. There were no solid rocks to hold onto so I found myself slipping frequently and digging holes into the dirt with my hand to create hand holds. I needed them as I couldn’t have supported my weight on my feet alone without slipping down the face. About 100′ down from where I was standing was an overhanging cliff that dropped down 400′ to the bottom.
I didn’t have waste straps on my pack that contained ALL of my climbing gear (rope, harness, locking biner, two belay devices, webbing, etc) and an MSR water pump so when I was on my hands and feet walking across the face my pack shifted a couple times throwing me off balance creating a large enough slide to put into perspective the gravity of my situation. I took off my pack and was going to throw it in front of me and attempt to let it slide down to where I was headed. As soon as the pack hit the ground it appeared as if it went into turbo mode and commenced rolling down the mountain full speed. I had a water bladder in the pack and it was spinning so fast that the water was being emptied and spraying in a circular fashion similar to a high powered water sprinkler. I could help but chuckling because at the time it was the least of my worries. The pack quickly disappeared from view never to be seen again.
I kept pushing on – a little disheartened – and was on one of the less declinated areas where I could stand and I lost my footing, went airborne, and landed my shin on the edge of a rock. I pulled the dime sized rock chip from under my skin and watched the blood flow. It was brief, but messy. Without my first aid kit or water to clean it up I kept walking. Lance was about 50 feet below me and every step I took pushed a mass of scree down over the ledge his way. “WILL YOU STOP WALKING BEFORE YOU KILL ME PLEASE!!” is what I finally heard. I knew he was frustrated and I didn’t want to hurt him so I took a break. Moving on, I eventually got to a point where I knew I couldn’t safely continue without roping in. So without rope, I began to descend.
I decided to scout the area where we think my pack travelled but with how fast it was moving and how steep the mountain was there was no telling where it stopped. The foliage and brush was also very thick, easily high enough to completely encompass a black backpack. The area we suspected it came to rest at was covered in low-lying pine trees, shrubs, and thorn bushes. It was also very steep and with all the brush I couldn’t see where I was stepping so I was constantly losing my footing. Too many dangerous factors to be able to justify the continuation of my search. Gear lost.
It was at this point I realized I had been absolutely defeated. I only wanted to get down from the face we were on at this point. Without water or food and the massive amount of energy exerted on our fruitless traverse we decided it would be wise to head back. Ouch. Defeat and humility burning a hole into my brain as I began my walk AWAY from Box Elder Peak. It wasn’t only defeat, but the realization that I am truly at the mercy of the mountains.
Some lessons were learned and luckily they were only at the cost of a gashed up shin and some monetary loss. I realize things could have gone differently but I am not going to doubt my decision to go as far as I did. I did decide to turn back when I hit the wall – a wall which I have never hit – where I simply knew was far too unsafe to continue. It is such a humbling experience, and while at the time I was feeling differently, I have a new appreciation for the gravity that accompanies walking into the wilderness. It is an appreciation that I hold in the same regard as the love that is felt when I am surrounded by the wilderness. I not only see a peaceful, serene vista that embodies love and soul, but also a turbulent, living, dynamic creature that is never, ever to be taken for granted.
Lone Peak solo
02 years ago
I have historically had a bad habit of overpreparing for a backpacking trip. I knew ten minutes in that my pack was at least 15 pounds too heavy. It’s not a loss though; I see it as more conditioning. I knew by the topo map this was going to be a pretty steep climb but what I didn’t anticipate was a trail littered with small boulders and rocks. I’m two miles in and I feel like the majority of my ascent has been stepping up 18-24″ rocks.
I think heat exhaustion has set in and my quadriceps are beginning to perpetually cramp up with every step. It is for this reason I am taking an extended break to write, eat, and drink masses of water. I came across a rapidly flowing stream that blunders down a steep canyon for hundreds of feet. There is a large platform type rock that edges a relatively deep pool before making its way over the steep boulders below. The only sound I hear is the rushing water and occasional gupls the fast moving water makes in the pool of water before me. I soaked y bare feet in the water to cool off for a moment and it is cold! Probably 45*. It is however so invigorating.
To the immediate north are bare, towering, granite ralls that rise five hundred feet above me. It is these walls that help form the canyon I traverse. They are steep and sheer but almost bouldering with deep contours gracefully strewn about them.
The air is cool – with the aid of the cool stream – at approximately 7200ft. I have climbed around 2500 feet in 2 miles. By the looks of it I have anouther 2.5 miles and 2000ft. This is comforting to know the remaining climb will not be as aggressive as the climb to this point.
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Pain has never been so rewarding as it is now. After my hour lunch break I started on the trail again and not even 5 minutes in I came across a rather stunning waterfall. Not just the height, or the volume of the water, but the unique manner it was making its way down the mountain. There are occasional pine trees in the route and the top splits into two directions both making their way unobstructively around a mound of granite causing the split. In this mount the two pine trees are holding steadfast in crevasses in the granite.
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LOST IN THE BRUSH
Shortly before the waterfall there was a split in the trail. In one direction was the stream and in the other was up up up. The split that went up was marked with a cairn and I knew I had to at some point – VERY CLOSE – cross the stream. For this reason the cairn and the opportunity to cross the stream over a makeshift bridge sent me in that direction. The trail quickly became overgrown with brush and at times I couldn’t tell if I was on a trail at all.
The trail finally disappeared and I decided to walk through the brush and continue to follow the canyon up. I finally dead-ended at a granite face and not wanting to turn back I clumbed up with my pack. It was very steep and smooth. What a wonderful decision I made. I am sitting on top of the face with an amazing view of the canyon I just walked up and the granite gliffs to the north. With or without a trail I am fairly certain I will be able to find the reservoir. Fairly being the keyword.
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Made it to the reservoir. It truly is gorgeous here. I have experienced some major cramps in my quads that stopped me from bending my legs at all. I stopped about a half mile from the reservoir and took a nap on a rock for about 45 minutes. After putting on sun block! Super sore and exhausted I dredged through the last half mile. I was elated when I realized I was there. In nearly two hours that have passed since I first sat down I think I moved from this spot twice.
As I sit here in front of the lake I am having a hard time thinking of little else besides where the fish go or do after they jump into the world above theirs, or what I love and admite. My mind is completely clear of confustion, doubt, or stress. As I write I frequently find myself up to gather inspiration from the landscape or to briefly think of the beauty of a loved one’s face. I find myself frequently gazing at the mountain, reflecting its beauty.
The benefits of a solo trip to the mountains were not expected to be this plentiful and amazing. Of all my time spent in the wilderness I have never felt so uplifted and free from any weight or pressures from society.
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Woke up this morning eager to get moving. It was 6am and the only reason I got up was because I gazed outside of my tent and saw a clear view of the moon and another large star or planet to its left setting behind the range of mountains to the SE of the lake. The sky was barely illuminated by the soon-to-rise sun. I was also a little excited to get moving before the sun got strong enough for discomfort.
I’ve discerned from the map that Lone Peak is almost directly south of me and it doesn’t look like the peak can be more than 1.25 miles way – which is fairly exciting.
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Thunder Mountain was relatively easy. It was a little exhausting but wasn’t anyhthing technical. Lone Peak is a totally different story. From the direction I decided to approach it (North) it is seemingly straight up along the entire face and rises up about 1400ft. I believe it is within my capabilities so I decided to make the approach and summit.
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MADE IT! I am relaxing on the top of Lone Peak eating a pack of dry Ramen noodles. I am alone and knew for this I had to be overly cautious. This unfortunately had the side effect of nervousness. I finally overcame this and when I did I started to gain ground much faster. Some places were literally straight up requiring me to pull myself up over a ledge. There was no marked route so I had to find what I believed to be the best. I rarely only depended on my legs and I think this allowed me to move faster more evenly distributing the load.
Being alone almost turned me back in a few places because a fall would have been much more difficult to address without a partner. I was however able to find a safe route and on one occasion I dropped down 20-30ft to a safer route.
The view up here is unobstructed and I can see what feels like forever approximately 270* around me.
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The hike down was wasn’t any easier than the hike up due to exhaustion. Lost the trail a few times and when I finally got to the last half mile I took a wrong turn and ended up in a subdivision. I was cramping miserably and so dehydrated. I saw a Sandy Watershed city employee and asked where I was and where the trailhead was and he said it was about 3 miles from where I was. There was a lady outside of her house and overheard our conversation and remarked “You can just go back up and catch the trail if you trace your steps” to which I replied “I don’t have the capability to walk up anymore.” I asked the city employee how much trouble it would be to give me a ride up to the trail and he said “Sorry, company policy.”
In complete dismay I started walking on the sidewalk with my pack. Losing daylight and not entirely sure where I was I contemplated calling a cab. Not even two minutes into my walk the lady whose home I came out by drove up with a ice cold bottle of water and told me to put my gear in the back and get in. I don’t think there was anything at this point that could have lifted my spirits more.
I got to my car, and after nearly completely breaking down, thought about how lucky I am to have the opportunity for such an amazing experience and the ability to appreciate. Never has a trip to the wilderness been so mentally and physically challenging, and so emotionally trying and rewarding. It was as if a veil was lifted and everything that had ever or currently been bothering me was gone completely.
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Full gallery:
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| Lone Peak Solo |
Barefoot hiking in Israel Canyon
02 years ago
I thought today would be a nice day to do a light hike with the dogs I am watching. Well, more like stopping themselves from killing each other. I chose Israel Canyon in Saratoga Springs since I can drive the majority of it. As soon as we got there clouds came in faster than we could have turned around. I had brought only flip-flops and when it started to sprinkle I had decided that I was going to be doing this hike barefoot.
I had recently read in article in Mens Health about a tribe in Mexico that race cross-country distances on trails completely barefoot. Studies have concluded that this is a healthy alternative, especially for people with flat feet. There is an aspect of it that allows you to find your natural balance point and is known to improve your stride. I already have an affinity to bare feet so I was looking forward to this. I knew however that it was going to be very painful. What I wasn’t expecting was the hail and thunderstorm.
I passed the spot that I got crucially stuck in once before when the snow was melting and I had to be dragged down a trench by a Jeep. This was by the way my crowning moment of shame for the Nitro. The Nitro is too heavy. Anyway, we passed a few gnarly spots where there would be no returning from if we slid into. For some reason going up is always more successful than down. This applies to hiking barefoot also.
The walk up really wasn’t too bad until the wind picked up. I would hear what almost sounded like a screech in the distance. This was a precursor to the heavy wind carrying rain sideways that was headed our way. It was only a few seconds that passed after I heard the sound that I was getting pelted with water. There was one point where I had to take shelter behind a large bush. For about 5-10 minutes I waited for the wind to die down. We were on the face of the mountain at this point and near the top so the storm was at its strongest. We came to where there was a great view of Timp but the skies were dark and covered with massive clouds. This was at ~3pm.
We didn’t realize we had reached the top until the wind blew what was left of the clouds from the mountain top. The radio towers were suddenly clearly visible and we subtly celebrated our victory. We took a few pictures and immediately headed down. Moments after we turned around the storm broke and fog lifted from the canyon. This was another victory, but I was learning how difficult it is to stop yourself from sliding down a muddy hill barefoot. This in itself was not a problem, however the rocks in the mud were. Mud would cake up in the arch of my foot and collect pebbles and rocks along the way. So when my foot slipped, these rocks tore down my foot as they rolled between my foot and the ground.
I got to the point where I didn’t try to find the path of least resistance, because there didn’t seem to be one. It was hailing at the top and it was raining the rest of the time up so I was completely soaked. I was enjoying myself though – that is the almost confusing point. It hurt but I wasn’t being seriously injured. By the time I got to the bottom my feet were either numb from the cold, used to the conditions, or some combination of both. We made it back to where the Nitro was parked and the dogs started circling the vehicle, barking aggressively, and jumping on the door before we even got there. They were wet, dirty, and likely tired. We all were. Needless to say the entire interior is covered with mud, some places 1″+ thicker.
The worst part wasn’t over. The most painful was, but not the most fearful. The Nitro weighs ~4200lbs and doesn’t have mud tires. And there was easily 3″ of mushy mud that we had to get through. The trail not only had a forward decline, but it also had a sideways decline towards the meeting of the road and the hill that goes up at a 60 degree angle. At this junction water had formed a 2′ ditch that many vehicles would not be able to get out of. When I got stuck the first time I was actually on my way down, and the weight of the Nitro, lack of tread, and steep sideways incline contributed to a momentous slide that I had no control over. At a dead stop I slid into an ice-laden gulley. I wanted to avoid this from happening but on the way down I didn’t feel I had any control.
At one point I actually slid into a fairly deep gulley and I couldn’t stop it from happening so I just stepped on the gas and hoped I could muscle my way out. The bottom kept dragging on the high point in the gulley and rocks laid about. We bounced a lot, and slowed down to a near stop but we made it out while fish-tailing towards the edge (the other side of the road). It was a unnerving experience but it created a rush that can’t be intentionally duplicated – unless you have absolutely no sense.
One night at silver lake
02 years ago
I hear the roar of the river in the background and the crippling silence it brings. It delivers a melodic rhythm that borders on oscillation. I fight the sleep it is tempting as I write.
With higher elevation comes lower temperature and greater clarity in the skies. Cleaner air, more serenity, and a greater sense of grandeur follows. And in this particular spot, a soft breeze is being carried along the path of the roaring river. Everything can be heard: the rustling of the leaves, the turbulent river, the wind roaming through the trees, and occasional animals scurrying along the forest floor.
There is an assured comfort in sleeping under the stars, albeit it is much more pleasurable to share with someone you love. The strength of the mountains is comforting and overwhelming at the same time. There is nothing out here to think about save what is immediately surrounding you. When you can feel you are a part of nature – as opposed to separate from it – it becomes so easy and rewarding to enjoy the simplest stimulus out here.
As I lay here on the soft earth with an unobstructed view of the sky – aside from the few pine trees – I think of the faith I have that I will be protected in my sleep by that which watches over me. I am completely exposed and vulnerable. However the view and freedom from the openness that comes with it calms any apprehension that is associated with this vulnerability. Small risk, small exhilaration.
Conquering dreams
02 years ago
Ok so there are a lot of things I have wanted to do in this world and I have been slowly conquering them. The thing is, until now I have lived in places that had limited geographic terrain so I could only do a few things at a time. This also contributed to moving so much. When I moved back to Kentucky when I got out of the navy I didn’t feel like there was anything left to do there. I was bored and the only thing that I enjoyed outdoors was sand volleyball. I had my friends and family, and even a serious girlfriend, but I wasn’t completely happy. I felt there were things missing.
So when I had the opportunity to move to Tampa (a spot as a service tech opened) I jumped on it. Swamps, palm tree forests, natural springs, white sand beaches, ocean kayaking, diving, spear fishing, boating, offroading… It was a blast. I potentially had an awesome life. I was in for a big shock. People in Florida are horribly miserable, out of shape, and physically stagnant. Besides the masses of retired people, I’m pretty sure all the douches in the country gravitate to Florida. They were not only vindictive, but they were very cynical and unhappy.
Anyway, I was on the verge of leaving APX because the new standards were going to make it very hard to go to school full-time. So when I got the chance to come to Utah it was some one of the most exciting news I could have imagined. I had a chance to do something I was going to school for and I would be in the mountains, in the center of the west.
I have so much to do here I don’t know where to start. With the scenery and terrain, biking is becoming something I seriously want to get into. Climbing, there are a lot of lakes for distance swimming, even camping is so rewarding because of the openness and views in the morning. River kayaking, lake kayak trekking, expedition kayaking, serious and gnarly offroading that has shamed the Nitro, finding a spot in the grass on the mountainside and sleeping till sunrise.
So, my love for Utah is growing and I’m very surprised. Aside from everything outdoors, there is also the people – culture, morals, confidence, competitiveness, respect, strength, beauty… So many things I admire and respect in humans are in overwhelming abundance here. There is also a strong sense of community and family that creates an efficient society as they are all fundamentally on the same page. Its amazing how much effect the people of a culture can have on your perspective of a region/area.
These are thoughts that I have literally have on a daily basis and they keep growing as I learn more about the geography, activities, and culture of utah. I know its not for everybody – but outside of San Diego I have never felt so comfortable and happy. So as I sit here atop Squaw Peak writing I suddenly had a thought… I have to go to work.
How I got to Utah
03 years ago
Warning: VERY LONG POST!!!
A little history on how I got to UT. I got out of the Navy in 2004 and immediately started going to school for Computer Science. I got an awesome job working a saltwater fish room at a Petland in Fort Thomas, KY (my hometown). I posted my resume on Monster when I got out of the Navy – not really looking for anything (not many jobs related to my experience would work for a full-time student). Anyway two years (June 2006) later I got a call from Shane Campbell asking if I was interested in a job with a fairly new Alarm company servicing and installing alarms. I would make my own schedule, work from home, and they would fly me to Utah, get me a rental car and hotel, and train me for a week. I thought it was a scam. I did a phone interview (like a five minute interview) and the next day he said he wanted to use me.
It was pretty exciting but I didn’t really believe it was real until I got my flight and rental car info. So that’s how it started. I worked the Cincinnati area for 1.5 years and had a pretty great time doing it. It was very flexible and I caught on super fast. I was at the time with Haleigh and we started getting really sick of KY. REALLY SICK. The weather, people, and scenery were getting unbearable. So I talked to Shane and found out that a spot in Tampa doing the same thing just opened up so with very little hesitation I took it! Picked up and moved everything down to Tampa. The scenery was great but the beach and water was too hot in the summer and the people were the meanest I have ever encountered. It was my personal hell. I did as much as I could do outdoors but everyone in Tampa seemed to be overweigh and inactive – thus there were not a lot of outdoor activities besides boating. I did a lot of Kayaking but there wasn’t really much else to do without a boat.
Things were changing with APX (getting larger, more incorporated) and the flexibility with my schedule was being reduced every month. I could no longer go to school full-time and work full-time and I was about to start school so the time was going to come to decide between school and APX. Unfortunately I was going to choose school. Coincidentally around this time the POP servers (email) were taken down for security purposes. I sent a ticket into desktop support but they told me they were never up. So I did a little snopping and figured out the server settings for out Exchange servers and wrote up a How-To for the other techs that wanted to get email on their Outlook from home. I sent it to Shane and he forwarded it to Brett Teasdale. I got a response (semi-jokingly) asking if I wanted a job. I did another phone interview and this time I was really, really nervous. I knew it was an opportunity to start somewhere in my career path I was going to school for and to me it was much more fitting and appropriate. I mean I think in one of the questions I paused for like 10 seconds without a clue of what to say. I think I even heard Brett chuckle a little. I was told they would tell me either way in the next few days if they were interested.
THAT DAY I got a call back from Krysynt telling me I was in. I flipped the freak out. I just landed a job with the best company I could imagine working for doing approximately what I was going to school for. So about 3 weeks later I packed up my Nitro with a few essentials and started my fateful journey from Tampa to Provo. It was the happiest cross-country drive I’ve ever taken and as the temperature dropped my excitement inversely raised.
I very happily slept outside for two weeks (up Provo Canyon). This was in December so the average low up there was like 8*. I woke up at 6 every morning more alive than ever. Went to the gym (Throwdown), worked out, showered for work, and went to work. Went to the gym after work then back to my tent to call it a night. This adventure was supposed to last a month but a 2 snowstorms later and two tent collapses ended it a little prematurely. I woke up one morning and the volume of my tent was approximately half of what it was when I went to sleep. I was a little freaked out but discovered that it was just snow that was collapsing the walls of my three-season tent. I dug myself out and headed to work. Fast forward a few days: I came home (yes, it was my home) one night and all I saw was the apex of my tent sticking out of the snow. It was completely covered. I furiously dug the tent out again and when I opened the door everything was covered in frost. Not wanting to die (moisture + cold = g’bye), I broke everything down and slept my in my Nitro. Adventure over. Howerver, it was a wonderful adventure!!
And now, in Utah, I am surrounded by beauty and happiness. Love it.