I must be a writer, at least in theory, because I think too much…about everything…to the point of becoming an absentminded fool. I took my oldest to Target two weeks ago and forgot my wallet. The lady at self-checkout put our basket of stuff behind the rack. Returning later we discovered all our things had been picked up by a different employee and put back on the shelves. Yesterday, I took my youngest to the…
In this story I try to tackle the difficulties in finding simplicity in a complex world. How can we tone down the overwhelming options before us, or silence the voices of a hundred threads coming at us at once on social media? Is there a place we can go to focus more intently on the present? On this journey I go bikepacking deep into the San Rafael Swell, a remarkable piece of Utah. I cover…
In this piece I take a look at what we can learn during time spent in the outdoors. “Life lessons on the river” is an endless topic of discussion, with the main theme being change. A river is nothing if not the embodiment of change as it scours its way down through layers of rock, changing the very face of our Earth. Through the lens of our years rafting together as a family, I ruminate…
Day 1 – May, 2021 A Hallway of Stone, A Ribbon of Sky I STAND IN A hallway of stone. The sky, a thin, winding ribbon of cerulean above me. Millions of years of the geologic record soar overhead, a towering dominion of arcane time. In fact, the rock record here displays nineteen different formations, more than any other National Park in America (yes, more even than the Grand Canyon). The sheer depth of time…
It has been just over seven months now since we landed in Fort Collins. Our trip will forever be a milestone in our lives, like COVID is for humanity. “Pre-trip” and “post-trip” will be part of our family lexicon for good. Here are some thoughts on life after a big adventure. It feels nice to be settled, but don’t get me wrong, whispers of our trip sneak in at times and rock our firm foundation.…
THE RIVER RUSHES SO swiftly that it sends up a shimmering emerald mist which hangs above the angry surface like a diaphanous blanket. The entire river corridor—bounded by verdant, moisture-laden flora—is enshrouded like this and snakes off into darkness alongside the highway. Boreas Mountain calls to me. I am standing along the banks of the North Fork of the South Platte river outside Bailey, Colorado. The summer monsoon had been in full swing for two…
It is a strange thing to find myself, at a ripening age, in a position where I am a complete stranger to my surroundings. I know no one. I am not familiar with the landmarks. My kid’s schools are foreign entities. I have no friends and barely any acquaintances. I am in the act of becoming anonymous. The grocery store, thankfully, is the same, therefore I can find the pickled jalapeños without too much difficulty.…
I sit here in my new(ish) house(rental) here in Fort Collins and I ponder my future. Don’t we all? If only I could learn to spend more time in the Now. I hang on to the past as the one clear way to define who I am. I look to the future as the savior of everything I long for. I don’t spend enough time Right Here, Right Now. Jesus Jones had it right. The…
