I just back from a trip up to Gatlinburg. It was one of those trips where you go up for two days and come straight back. For some people, that probably sounds amazing and it would have been just the right amount of time for a group as big as ours. Me, personally I thought it was too short. Yes, it was fun and worth the drive but it was still a lot to handle, especially on the way back. In total (over the three days) I got about seventeen hours of sleep and even though I was totally ok with sacrificing my sleep for some fun memories I also did not enjoy that long 8-hour drive home with only 4 hours of sleep.
But of course, you do what you can when its to celebrate your friend's birthday.
This trip was mostly just fun because we got to all hang out far away from work, other people we know, and of course Florida. We stayed in this wonderful Cabin that had such a wonderful atmosphere that it felt like a fairy tale. It really felt like we were all in a storybook.
We played games, we went into downtown Gatlinburg, we had lots of drinks, did Moonshine tasting, went through Ripleys believe it or not, and of course, sang Christmas songs while we made dinner as one big group. It was one of those situations where we all felt at home and didn't want the fun to end. For me I felt like the clock was slowly ticking. The moment was fun and I really enjoyed being with everyone. As time slowly ticks by it get harder and harder to keep moving forward. It gets difficult to not think about what it around the corner and it really makes it sad when I think that I might be saying goodbye to these people sooner rather than later.
I hope we all will stay friends in the future.
Over the weekend we went to outdoor climbing. This was my second time going outdoors for sport but my first time for outdoor bouldering. This was also the first trip I had done with my boyfriend and I was overall excited about what was to come. The one thing that at the top of my list was to get pictures of people as they were bouldering and doing sport climbing. I have never taken professional pictures of people doing this sport before so I figured that it would be fun to give it a try. Luckily I have some amazing friends who were more than happy to let me take pictures of them.
For those of you who are not familiar with climbing, I will give a short explanation of each. Bouldering is a sport with no ropes and no harnesses. If you are in a gym then you have to follow the color that you choose and each one has a different level of difficulty to it. For bouldering they use a V scale so if you are doing bouldering inside or outside the scale is as follows. VB, V0, V1, V2, and so on. The higher the number then the harder the route will be. If you go outdoors there is no color to follow, just chalk. The chalk will let you know where the holds are, which route to take and it will even tell you which holds are bad. When you are doing Bouldering it literally is solving a puzzle with your own body. Its all strength, technique, and will.
When it comes to sport climbing (or lead) you are in a harness and you have a rope attached. As you climb you have what is called Quick Draws. They have carabiners which allow you to clip into a bolt in the wall on one end and then clip your rope into the other. Down below you have what is called a belayer which is someone who literally is responsible for keeping you safe as you climb up the route. Doing Sport climbing is much harder and requires more strength, technique, will, and of course wits. Instead of going up to 10 or 16 feet you are climbing up to 30 feet to 100 ft depending on the route itself. It's dangerous and if you are not paying attention then it can result in death. For me personally, I love it more. I think there is more involved and I really enjoy the idea of going up higher than before and just enjoying the climb. Sure it's more dangerous but there is so much more you can do while you are doing sport.
These pictures were my first attempt at taking climbing photography and I really enjoyed every second of it. I can't wait for the next trip so I can take more photos and I can practice getting more clarity. If you haven't done climbing before or even knew it was a sport you should check it out. It's really cool to watch and it's going to be in the 2020 Olympics. So get ready to see some amazing climbs and climbers compete for the top prize.
I just got back from an outdoor climbing trip up in Alabama. Now I have never actually stayed in Alabama. Usually, I just drive through and never look back. Mostly because Alabama is one of those states where you hear all the crazy stories. Incest, people doing all kinds of drugs, more bad places then you can count, and so on. So of course, I just drive through as quickly as I can and don't think twice. So for the first time, I actually stayed in the state itself. For us climbers its one of the closest places that you can find bouldering and sport climbing.
The weather up there was perfect. A nice chilly 30 to 60 degrees and I loved every second of it. While we were enjoying the cold I even got to try a new kind of photography. Climbing photography. Usually, I do Landscapes, sunsets, pets, some people portraits, and my favorite star photography. But this time around I got to take pictures of my friends as they climbed. I'm really excited to edit these photos and share them with the group itself. I think that I got some good shots and I am pumped to have them be shared around and given to others.
Not only is it good for me but it will also help my friends to remember this trip for a lifetime. I can't wait for the next trip and I can't wait to do more climbing and invest in this sport more and more. It was so much fun. So stay tuned for these photos. You may even enjoy them yourselves and want to hire me to come to take some photos for you. For now, though, enjoy some pictures I edited from a hike my boyfriend and I did before we joined the others.
One of my favorite things about travel has been the ability to see new things everywhere new go. If you have been somewhere before some time is always changing. It could be a new store opened, the expanded a block somewhere, the added a park, a gym, or even a freaking bouncy castle and it still would be different than the last time you were there. you just never know what could happen in the amount of time it takes for you to come back to that place. It could be days, weeks, months, years, decades. All of that time, no matter how big or small creates a space where something new can be created.
Almost every trip I take I learn something new. I always get to experience something I never would have if I stayed home. I always tell myself, no matter what happens, everything is a lesson but a regret. it can't be regret because that will give you a chance to grow if you take it, learn from it, and move forward. This trip I took to Iceland helped me to understand more of that concept. If I ever go back there I now know what I need for next time. I know what to do and not to do there and really it can only make the experience better.
I could even take that knowledge and share it with others. Sometimes the mistakes that you make are a way of helping to prevent others from making those same mistakes. It doesn't matter how big or small it helps. This is one of the reasons I love blogging for you guys. I don't have a big audience but the audience I do have reads my stuff, comments, and I hope shares what they now know with others. Its a chain of events that happen and can help so many out there.
So I hope some of these stories I give you guys do help you. No matter how big or small they are to me, I want you to enjoy those stories but then take something from it.
That really what I try to accomplish on here and I thank you guys every day for sticking around, reading my stuff, and spreading the word. It really is a joy for me to write to you guys and I hope one day this will be my only job.
Time will only tell.
