Mountains

Which Are You??

/ Sloan / 4 Comments

“This is why I moved here,” as my fellow east coaster friend and I rounded a bend and saw the view of Mount Shasta I know we were both thinking it, I said it out loud. The trails here in Southern Oregon are incredible. In-cred-ible! We both moved here from the mid-Atlantic to be happier and then we figured we figure it out as we go.

As our conversation progressed on our 3 hour trail run topics progressed from all over the board: men, work, running, roommates, religion, moving…etc. My friend started talking about a woman she works with and couldn’t help but notice that this woman seems to be young, beautiful, married but works a whole lot! Like, a lot a lot. So much that I think the only time she’s outside is when she’s between her house and her car and her car and work…unless she has a garage, and then maybe parks in an underground parking structure…anyway, this woman seems to do nothing but work and then grocery shop on her days off. BORING.

 

Why am I talking about some woman I don’t even know? I’ve never met her, why do I care what she does? I don’t, really. But I know lots of people like her and it makes me kind of sad and curious. Did she never have the chance to figure out what she loves? Is she happy?  Makes me think about something I’ve heard people say as a concept of life: I live to work. OR I work to live. Which one are you?

Do you spend your days at work dreaming to get out, planning your next trip, gearing up to experience something alone or with a friend in a new place? Or do you get up in the morning and go to bed each night with work on your mind, making money your first thought, paying off those bills so you can enjoy the good life LATER?

My friend and I ran and ran and ran for three hours yesterday. Winding through the trail systems that put my old ‘trails’ to shame. Talking, laughing, detoxing from our week of working—this is one of my favorite ways to feel good about life. Knowing that I have the opportunity and love of the outdoors to detach myself from the everyday struggles and stresses of life. My jobs are to allow me to do what I want know, they let me live where I want and let me do what I want right now.

 

I chose to work so I can live. Don’t get me wrong, I want to enjoy my job and be full filled, but I’m also beginning to understand that there is so much more than work. I want to work, I want to learn, I want to play, I want to figure out the best balance of being able to do it all and be full filled and enriched!

 

Now how do I do that? Quarter life crisis countdown is on… T-minus 6 days! Eeeeeeek!!

Hippie Dancing

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

I don’t dance. In most cases I choose to spare people (and myself) the embarrassment of overtiring their eyes, smiling uncomfortably and dodging flailing body parts. But every once in awhile something moves me, (something other than a bit of liquid courage and a cute guy…) this past weekend I was able to attend Mountain Jam Music Festival in beautiful upstate New York. Now, I could go on and on about how beautiful the ski resort was, how the trails were probably build for running rather than skiing or mountain biking. I could talk about my hike/run up a double black diamond and how the wind at the top nearly blew me off the rock—but I’m not going to talk about this, I’m going to talk about dancing.

 I’ve always loved music but have never felt elated, never felt like I was flying when listening to it. This whole week I was dancing, sober. At the booth (I was there working) I could hear some tunes from the main stage and grabbed a hula-hoop and spun in circles with a 5-year old. As I rode the chair lift to the top I phoned my brother and couldn’t help tapping my foot in the air and my feet dangled high above the other festival goers. As Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros played on the stage I danced. I hippie danced in the dirt and ignored everyone else around me and let the music take me away. I watched my feet become covered in dirt and create faux tan lines, the smile on my face was natural and pure. [notice in the video the camera starts to bounce, that’s me trying to dance] —I’ve been unable to upload the video, I’ll work on it and get it up eventually! (ooooh, technology)—-

Later in the evening when Government Mule, My Morning Jacket, Umphy’s McGee… played—I danced, hard. I danced and danced and floated up and up. I ignored all inhibitions and just moved with the music I heard. Sometimes letting go in the best to escape and feel good. The weekend was filled with body moving. Between mornings running or hiking up the ski mountain, hooping and slack lining at the booth, dancing (at least what I called dancing.) The atmosphere created by this music, the looming mountain tops and a sun shiney weekend—was perfect.