My Year End Wrap Up

I'll attempt to wrap up 2006. It was quite a ride, that's for sure.

Lets do the high points:
Beginning 2006.
I rang in the New Year at Whistler with an amazing group of people, who at this time of year I'm missing. Very much. I hope you are all out on amazing adventures this week. I miss you all, and wish you the best in the coming year. I rode my very first bowl... in 2005 at the beginning of the trip, but I'm including it in 2006 because I can. During this trip I met three new people, Jesse, Diana, and Bryan, who are people I will always love, no matter how much I NEVER see them.

2006 also held my very first year of continual snowboarding. Until this year, I'd never had my own season pass, and MAN what a difference that makes. I actually got pretty good, and had I renewed my season pass this year I would have only gotten better.

Recovering from some very difficult decision making from 2005, I decided that 2006 would be MY year. The year I make decisions for me, and for no one else BUT me. It was pretty tough at first. Its kind of uncomfortable when you are used to constantly deferring to what someone else wants first because you've foregone all your own wants for so long, you kind of forget what they are. So, I tried some new things. I hiked Rainier. to 8500 feet my first time, in a skirt on a 90 degree day. I think that was my highlight of the entire year. Sitting up there, feeling like I'd really accomplished something and that if I only practiced a little more, I could try and summit. That's going on my to - do list. Summit Mt. Rainier, To do #1.

My friend Lib had a lot to do with what some of my choices were. She's always doing something and I'm always up for something, so WHY NOT! I tried climbing... its alright. I don't like waiting my turn very much, so I'd rather do something everyone can do at the same time... like surfing, playing in the snow, drinking... ;) j/k.

Part 2 of 2006 was making a decision to move out of the country. This idea has evolved and evolved and evolved. First, I was moving to Costa Rica, then to South America, like BAM! BAM! but, as most of my ideas are -- this one was also a little more than I could swallow, and will take me a bit longer. So, for now... I'm going to Costa Rica in 14 days. I'm going for 2 months. I'll learn to teach english, and then I'll travel. And, as Lib likes to tell me when I get all riled up about someone else telling me about THEIR trip -- it will be MY trip. And because I'm quirky and somewhat off kilter, my trip will be different than other peoples. Which it will, and it won't. This is my first real trip alone, staying in hostels, and exploring where I want to explore. Its kind of a big step for me... so YIPEE!

A really cool part of the process was selling all my material possessions (within reason.. come on!). It was so freeing to realize I could fit most of my life in little boxes. The commute would have killed me, but luckily I have a ton of people in my life who like to travel and need their animals taken care of. So, I did get to spend some time in Seattle while being based out of Camano Island.

The absolute best part of 2006 though was waking up one day and realizing that I was happy. Truly happy for the first time in a really long time.

So, out of all my good decisions, oops's, and oooooooh, maybe I should have ____.... I've started to find my way back and out into the world. I've learned I don't do well taking a 15 mile hike into the backcountry one day, then a difficult 6 mile hike the next when I just started doing long hikes like that. I've learned that I like to travel light. That I miss the hills when I don't get up there, but that they'll still be here when I get back. I've learned that just because you can see it in someone's face that they appreciate you, it feels better to be told. I've learned the amazing feeling of great accomplishment, and the feeling you get when you start to really know you and allow yourself to show the world who that is with reckless abandon. I've learned to push myself, but not lose the reason I'm doing it. I've learned I like rock more than I like roll. And sometimes I like hip more than hop (take that as you want, I know what I mean).

I also learned to take a gamble on things. You never know when you'll have a group of people get together and actually get along for 6 days in a cramped space when they hadn't even met each other before.

Happy New Year all my loved ones!
MK