The Steeper Side of Life

As summer approaches I realize how few facets there really are to my life. I've got school/lab, I've got hanging out and partying with friends, and I have skiing. Once the snow starts to melt and the lifts stop running, what am I left with? Well, not that many diversions. In the past I've thrown myself into summer blockbuster season with gusto, spending my time alone in darkened movie theaters. I realize how incredibly sad that sounds, but I used to be a particularly introverted person, so give me a break. Now that I live in Salt Lake (and am carless, so getting to the theater and back is much more of an adventure) I'm realizing I need something to fill my summers. I've never been one to actively pursue hiking, but wouldn't say no when I was invited  I used to free-climb at the old climbing gym at Montana State University, but I think I would have been considered pre-novice (I literally got stuck at the top of a ~10' wall when my acrophobia kicked in). I'm not a fan of water activities really, or at least those I've been exposed to.

I thrive in winter and hate the heat of summer. What am I to do? I'm going to continue to pursue the steeper side of life. I chose that name for this blog because of the metaphorical, as well as the literal, interpretations. Of course I'm pursuing the steeps when I'm skiing, and I really want to learn to really rock climb, but I feel there is a steeper side of life that has nothing to do with heights and angles. It's about pursuing perfection as YOU would define it, not as others may tell you it should be. There is no end to self-improvement in any endeavor and THAT is the steeper side of life I want to continue to strive toward.

So this summer, instead of being glum that it's another 7 months until the lifts spool up and the fat flakes begin to fly (alliteration, you're welcome), I'm going to try it all. I'm going to hike the crap out of the Wasatch, I'm going to get those climbing shoes and harness and rip my hands up on all kinds of rocks, I'm going to have a freaking blast camping all over with a great group of friends and some nice cold 3.2% beer (or maybe hit up Evanston for real beer, cause we're bad-ass like that), and I'm going to learn to water ski. Utah is mecca for pretty much any outdoor activity you can name and I want to try them all (except snowboarding, because why?). I've long considered myself a fairly sedentary person, but over the last few years realize how much I'd been  missing out on. It's not that I didn't enjoy the great outdoors, it's just that living in a small town like Bozeman creates less drive to really escape civilization. Now that I'm back in a big city I want OUT; of the mass of people, of the inversion, of the bustle, I just want to get out. So that's what I plan to do. It's kind of the new philosophy for the rest of my life. If you're always pursuing the summit you can't fear the height because you're not turning around to look back down. Keep looking for the peak; hopefully you never see it.