For the Love of Climbing

Have you ever loved something, but somehow managed to forget that you love it?

Like you think, "oh yeah, I really like that thing" but then your life gets away from you, and a year goes by before you ever think of it again? And then you reconnect with it and your like "OH MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING WHY DO I NOT SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE DOING THIS EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY!?"

This is me and climbing.

Last night I went climbing for the first time in about 8 months, and it basically made me feel like this:

I used to climb aalllll the time. I wasn't some amazing climber, but I had a group of friends who loved it, so instead of "happy hours" we'd meet to at the gym and do some routes. I'd go several times a week. And then one of my friends got really into lead climbing/sport/trad, and could take us majestical places like Joshua Tree or Malibu Creek and we'd scramble around outdoors.

See...one time I climbed this.

And it looked kinda like this (dude...I have arm-envy of myself)

Then I started working in a new job, and met Steve (we actually met climbing btw), and our world wind of life took over. We got married, we moved, we started new job, etc etc etc.

The funny thing is, now that we've moved and everything, I do actually have a few friends up here that climb. They climb often. And we live not too far from one of the best gyms in Northern California.

So WHY is it that this doesn't seem to make it into my normal routine?

I HAVE NO CLUE.

But we're changing that.

One of the gals I used to work with at my last job is not only an awesome climber, but an outdoor enthusiast (marathons, hiking, summits mountains, backpacking, the works...you know the kind. They are the kinda friends that you love, while simultaneously causing you to question your life and you choices). EITHER way, she's been kind enough to invite Steve and I out climbing with her and a group of friends in Red Rocks next month.

I CANNOT WAIT.

It's like a perfect explosion of all of my favorite things: nature, making new friends, climbing, and not-camping (climbing during the day but staying in a hotel at night).

About a year ago, I went to a conference where they were talking about creating the kind of life you want for yourself. And one of the things that they'd mentioned was that you tend to be like who you hang out with. And if you want to change something, you just surround yourself with people who you want to be like. Simple right? You wanna run a marathon? Find friends who love running. You wanna start a new company? Find some entrepreneurial minded folk to spend time with.

So this morning I've decided that I'm done fighting myself on why we don't get to the climbing gym enough. I don't want to make it anymore complicated than this: deciding I love it, and I lookin for more friends who love it to.

Climb on.