Juggling and Biting and Reflecting
So I took a bus from Saint Paul, MN, to North Conway, NH.
I didn't know what to expect from 48 hours of travel by Greyhound. It turned out to be a bit surreal but not too unpleasant. For most of the trip I was allowed the front row passenger side seat all to myself. This allowed me to lay on my side if I tried to sleep. I didn't want to worry about pressure sore risk from sitting uprightbut staying still. One evening was bad with a man next to me and things quite cramped, but I was able to take it in stride. It sure is a nice part of getting older that I am more able to get less upset and look past inconveniences and perceived unfairness. Of course at the same time I wind up worrying that I don't defend myself well enough at times. Big juggling act I guess. Ultimately though, less anger and less worry is good.
The sleep deprivation was interesting. The journey sort of took on an epic and romantic quality. The passing of different sorts of terrain, the notice of different sorts of human settlement, the appreciation of different sorts of people in different places. I think I'll have to try it again.
The evening after arriving in North Conway saw my first training exercise: Hurricane Mountain Road. I looked in the warm sun from the base and saw the top shrouded in cloud. Wow, I thought, the desire to reach up and touch a cloud. Here was my chance to do just that. The road was steep and in places quite challenging. At only two miles of the really hard stuff, it wasn't all that bad, but there were places where I had to suspend judgement and concentrate on just the present single push. It worked and I made it into a beautiful fog at the crest of the hill. The dampness, the eeerie quality, the trees and the leaves on the forest floor and the quite. It was like having bread pudding for dessert- except that I was sat at the top eating trail mix and not warm pudding- but the trail mix did have chocolate chips in it- and I was definitely noticing every one I bit down upon.
Well, the typical not much time, gotta go get onto the other things I'd hope to already be doing hours ago. Reflection is such a luxury at moments.
I didn't know what to expect from 48 hours of travel by Greyhound. It turned out to be a bit surreal but not too unpleasant. For most of the trip I was allowed the front row passenger side seat all to myself. This allowed me to lay on my side if I tried to sleep. I didn't want to worry about pressure sore risk from sitting uprightbut staying still. One evening was bad with a man next to me and things quite cramped, but I was able to take it in stride. It sure is a nice part of getting older that I am more able to get less upset and look past inconveniences and perceived unfairness. Of course at the same time I wind up worrying that I don't defend myself well enough at times. Big juggling act I guess. Ultimately though, less anger and less worry is good.
The sleep deprivation was interesting. The journey sort of took on an epic and romantic quality. The passing of different sorts of terrain, the notice of different sorts of human settlement, the appreciation of different sorts of people in different places. I think I'll have to try it again.
The evening after arriving in North Conway saw my first training exercise: Hurricane Mountain Road. I looked in the warm sun from the base and saw the top shrouded in cloud. Wow, I thought, the desire to reach up and touch a cloud. Here was my chance to do just that. The road was steep and in places quite challenging. At only two miles of the really hard stuff, it wasn't all that bad, but there were places where I had to suspend judgement and concentrate on just the present single push. It worked and I made it into a beautiful fog at the crest of the hill. The dampness, the eeerie quality, the trees and the leaves on the forest floor and the quite. It was like having bread pudding for dessert- except that I was sat at the top eating trail mix and not warm pudding- but the trail mix did have chocolate chips in it- and I was definitely noticing every one I bit down upon.
Well, the typical not much time, gotta go get onto the other things I'd hope to already be doing hours ago. Reflection is such a luxury at moments.
posted by Sean at 3:16 PM
3 Comments:
All this talk about climbing, and you're sitting, hiddensomewhere, tippy-typing at a computer.
Went to aF - bees are fine - but no memory stick. Once a memory stick is lost to old age, it never returns. Don't worry, you've only mountains to climb in your future.
Cheers.
Someonehiddensomewhere has been heard to say that more than one (i.e., many) read this blog. Well, well, well, the proof is in the tell. What the hell, am I the only one who comments on this blog?
g
G--
I'm going to church.
--S
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