Road trip!!

Leaving tomorrow for Victoria, B.C., to start my cross-Canada road trip. Will be posting on my blog for this journey and will likely not be posting here for a couple of months.

(Unless I happen to go skydiving or find myself taking a scenic air balloon ride, in which case, I will, of course, update here.)

#16 – Juggle

I'm staying for a couple of weeks in northern B.C. with my good friend Lindsay. Yesterday, I brought out my juggling balls to practice and mentioned that I need to start working on my tossing skills again after a hiatus. Lindsay said, "Nobody you could look at you right now and say you're not juggling." I think she's right. So I'm just going to cross this one off the list. I made a better video of my juggling back in April, but this is shorter and more to the point:

So I can confidently say I can juggle three balls, which was the original goal to begin with. I have no illusions of ever becoming the next Selyna Bogino or challenging Jason Garfield to a duel. He's the Ball Master. I am quite content to let him keep the title and move on to bigger and better things.

On the wall

Climbed at the gym for the last time this summer. If all goes well, the next time I put on my climbing shoes will be to climb real rock in Alberta!

510.c

Climbed at the gym for what may be my last time before heading to the great outdoors to try a route on real rock. The idea scares the poop out of me, thus it must be done!

I'm climbing 10.c routes now at the gym and I even tried a gnarly 10.d last night and only had to fall about three times before making it through the crux. And, I think my belayer may have helped me a little 'cause my harness felt pretty darn snug... but still, I'm getting better consistently. But on Tuesday morning I'm heading up to Fort Saint John for two weeks to hang out with a dear friend who lives there... and there's no climbing gym in town or anywhere near town. What a bummer. 

Hopefully I'll not lose too much strength in that time. Maybe I'll buy a pull-up bar. 

Fourth amendment

Since 2009, I've had the first item on my bucket list crossed off – write a novel. While I did indeed complete a novella for the annual Three-Day Novel Contest that year, I did not win any prizes, nor did I get the manuscript published. (You'd have to be insane to publish that sentimental drivel written in a state of Oreo cookie-fueled delirium.)

So, while I'm happy I participated and spent a solid long weekend writing fiction (which is more than I've done in the four years since!), I realize I've not completed my life goal of writing and, more importantly, publishing a novel. I WILL one day write the next great Canadian novel. I will, dammit.

So, I'm putting that back on the list as unfinished, making this the fourth amendment to the bucket list since its inception in 2008.

5.10b

Climbed at the gym yesterday with a friend of a friend who's a very strong, bold climber and this gave me the confidence to push myself to my limit. Fell a lot, took risks, successfully completed the scary 5.10c overhang route with no takes and did a handful of 5.10b and c routes that maxed me out. 

Improving slowly but surely. Now that I have no problem with falling it's really about building strength. I think I can do about five pull-ups, and about 10 push-ups. Must. Get. Stronger!

Next goal is to find a group of people who are experienced outdoor climbers who will take me to do a single pitch in Squamish. That should do it for the purposes of the bucket list. Of course, I think I'm pretty well hooked and will likely keep climbing until I'm very old. Maybe I'll keep climbing even then.

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!