Before the trail

I've been in Colorado for 20 years as an adult - I was born here, but grew up elsewhere.

My return was bound up with a lot of hope for the kind of life I would live. I had a job lined up and hopes for a career.  I wanted to ski.  I wanted to fish.  I wanted to hike.  I wanted to live a life where I could work and live a balanced life with a good future but a bright present.

I cannot say that everything has gone as planned, but I cannot complain.  That is to say, things might not have gone as planned, because I have changed the plan.  I have learned a lot about myself and I expect I will learn more and so the plan will continue to evolve.  That seems like "life" to me.

In general I think things have moved along, but through it all I've failed at finding the time to hit the trail and the slopes.  It is really foolish too, because I never stopped wanting to.  I just never found the time.

I suffer from a bit of a romantic disposition, which sometimes trips me up.  The translation for that is, I often dream beyond the first step, but fail at the first step.  So I have driven our highways and roads passing signs for county open spaces, parks, and other hiking opportunities thinking, "I ought to do that someday," but didn't.

I have a lot of joy.  I have a wonderful family, great wife, and beautiful kids.  I have had many blessings.  My time on the trail has been too often been too much of an event whereas my goal is to make it more of a regular practice.

So,  I have started making a list of the places I have driven by and have started visiting them.  This is my records of those trips.