Spring has Sprung

Wow, who turned the lights back on is my first question. That winter was like living in a small dark closet being forced to watch reruns of Chelsea beating Liverpool, it was awful in some respects. It crosses my mind on a daily basis on which sandy beach I should move to until now since Spring has Sprung. The weather has been getting warmer and warmer every week and then last Sunday the time changed. We gained a hour of day light which means it is dark at 6am now and light until 745pm, those times will get stretched, eventually as the summer rolls in dusk will happen close to 830pm.

All my routines will start changing now that I don't have to sit inside the house doing in side the house kind of things. This worries me a little bit and over joys me to no regard. Why the frowny face? No huge deal but I got better at playing the guitar this winter than last winter. I can play  over ten songs now where as last winter I could play four. I have developed some strength in my hand and a few calluses and if I don't play they will fade.  Probably wont play darts again until next winter either.

Now that the time has changed and the weather has improved, the dance with the outdoors has been continued. Yep, the slow lovely waltz that I have been working on all these years. But this year I am incorporating some new moves that I have been working on, some old and some new.  The old moves are mostly listed under skateboard mini ramp, hiking, commuting by bike and knife throwing. The new moves are a full on assault on Backpacking, traveling to Asia and eating totally different.  I feel like a new person in a way although I have not fully ventured into everything I have set forth for myself. All I have to do is just do, including Asia, the flight is booked. All I have to do is get on the plane. NO, it is not Japan but I am suppose to connect there, we will see.

Some people keep telling to sell all my belongings and move move move, to some place nice. And I might just do that but there are a few odds and ends that I need to take care of first. The last few months I have stepped up the hiking around town and carrying weight which has partially led me to backpacking. I first started backpacking back in the mid 90's in Colorado near Steamboat, but I only did it once. Then I did another over night trip near Carbondale, IL a few years later. Both of these trips we walked in about five miles, camped and walked back the next day. Super easy. The other part of the fueling interest has to be my fascination with Ski Mountaineering. Honestly, backpacking and skateboarding are the closest I am going to get to Ski Mountaineering, so why not!! I have a trip planned what I think will be over Easter Weekend on a trail that is called Sylamore Creek, you'll get to see it at some point. I figure it is the closest to nature and the outdoors that I can get at the moment. You carry your life on your back and live out of a bag, it is great. I also think that it might help me mentally prepare for being in Asia surrounded by a culture that is a unknown for me. To me the backpacking will help give me a sense of independence and clarity in decision making. I know that the center of Bangkok is not anything like Arkansas in mid April but just go with it for now, trust me. I will be planning more backpacking as things get going, at least three trips this year if not more.

Then there is commuting by bike which I think I will talk about soon enough. I plan to stop driving my car for a greater extent. And if you were wondering about the mini ramp, it was uncovered two days ago and I have been skating. Thats why I want to go home early so I can get it on.

Finally, all the thoughtfulness and mindfulness go out to those in Japan.