To St. John's!

Okay, it's decided. I'm going to drive this summer to St. John's, Newfoundland, fulfilling bucket list item #13 – drive across Canada. Actually, I didn't just come up with this idea today, it's been mulling in my head for about a year, ever since I started a one-year contract as a reporter for a local paper here in town... I knew that once the year was up, it would be summer, and I would be doing something epic from the list. This just makes sense. I've got the time, I've saved a bit, and it'll be a good way to get in some travel writing experience.

I've started putting together a Wordpress blog for people to follow the exploits of a solo Canadian roadtripper, and I'm going to make it happen. I've got a week left at the paper, then I'm off to visit a friend in Fort Saint John (way, WAY up in northern B.C.) in early August, and then I'm good to go anytime after Aug. 18. So, there's lots of planning to do. I'd better get on with it!

An update on climbing: Progress being made, mostly in terms of getting over my fear of heights. I can fall, hang suspended 30 feet off the ground, look down, all with no problem at all. I'm also climbing 5.10a routes pretty consistently now, though on most of them I still have to take breaks at the crux and whenever I get pumped. Soon I should be ready for the great outdoors!