Purpose for my blog:

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN EXPLORER IN MANY WAYS! I LOVE NATURE, MEETING NEW PEOPLE, SEEING NEW PLACES, AND
CAN'T THINK OF BETTER WAY TO ILLUSTRATE AND DOCUMENT MY EXPLORATION!


CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV





Lion's Head



Blueberries in Autumn







Bobcat



















Spruce Knob, WV's highest point.
















North Fork Mt., WV





Don't worry Mae, you're goin home now! lol













































Seneca Rocks

Been a while!






















Well, its been about 8 months since my last post here! Time is sure flying by and lately, in the search for my next move in life, I have realized what a useful tool this blog can be. I realize now that its one of the best ways for me to share my greatest passion, which, at times, can be difficult to portray to others. However, here, anyone can see photos, imagine what its all like, and in some ways even feel like they sharing the experience. Every day can be an adventure if you make it, so I've decided to get the blog caught up on where I am and what I'm doing now. Since May, when i returned from AU and NZ, I have just been working, riding my mountain bike, swimming laps, hanging with friends, and of course, coming up with my next move. I think all of my travels and experiences have lead me to this point and now I am looking to make a move Westward and see how it suits me. Every time I've traveled West, to Wyoming, California, Montana, Arizona, Utah, and up into Alberta, I always felt as if i belonged there so its time to give it a try. It seems as I grow older here in the South, and as my friends move on with their own lives, i find it a bit harder to maintain a circle of friends who share the same interests and passion to learn and search for more in life. Perhaps all of my experience has opened my eyes to many things that just can't be explained. I still value my life here and understand the lives that my friends and family live, but there is no denying that I am a bit different. Its not a bad thing, just the way it is, and that's what makes the world go round! So, I have decided, through years of learning and exploring this beautiful earth we live on, to pursue a career with the National Parks Service here in the US. I think this would be a great way to first of all exercise this great passion I have for nature, and also be able to share it with others and raise awareness of its importance! So, I've been applying online for several positions throughout the country, from CO all the way to Alaska. At this point I've sent something like 40 applications for jobs like Park Ranger (interpretation), trail maintenance worker, and visitor use assistant. I'm following up on every single application with a phone call to the hiring official to let them know a little more about myself since I'm just not content with being another name among their hundreds of online applications. I know I have a lot to offer, so I've got to add a more personal touch to my application. We'll see what happens. For right now, I'm willing to accept whatever i can get, wherever I can get it. This way I can get my "foot in the door" and from there I know I will excel.






So, for the past 8 months, I have been on several smaller trips hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and so on. I'll post some photos to give a glimpse of this time that has gone by so quickly. Some of the highlights would be first,the party upon my return with all my friends and family, shaving my beard :-(, taking a Rock Climbing course in Seneca Rocks, WV where I climbed a 300 ft vertical face, the highest technical summit on the Eastern Seaboard, saving a lost pony ( Mae Mae) which we found during a 27 mile hike on N. Fork Mountain Trail, then saving 3 people ho were all drowning each other while trying to save one, a few great trips back to the Great Smokies NP, Spruce Knob, WV, and of course just living every day with a positive outlook. That's the key! If you learn that, and actaully put it to use, the rest is much better!