Hello, if this is your first visit to Forest and Crag. Please Read the rest of this entry »

“WYF-711, this is Mount Washington weather observatory with your morning weather.” The radio came on with a staticy voice, I could hear Sean shuffling papers preparing to write down the morning weather for the hut guests downstairs. “The current temperature outside is currently minus twenty degrees, with high winds causing wind chills to drop up to minus 60 degrees. There is a statewide wind-chill warning in effect until tomorrow at 9am when temperatures are expected to start to rise again. Extended outdoor activities are not recommended.” I stirred in my sleeping bag, afraid to face the cold air outside. Lily was still asleep at the bottom of the bag curled up around my feet. She’s a smart dog, and knows where the warmth is. I think to myself “extended outdoor activities… great, that’s just what I plan to do.” The radio kicked off and Sean stood up. “Going to be a fun day today.” He said. I cinched the sleeping bag hood over my face and tried to doze back asleep.

I was going stir crazy at home. I’ve been back from Nepal for over a month now. I am broke and unemployed, my only companions are my parents, and I haven’t done much more than sit lazily around the house looking for a job online. I scraped together the little money I had, brought some cans back to the store for the deposits (thirty five cents). I threw my winter gear into my pack, grabbed some food from the pantry, and got into the car headed for my other home, the White Mountains. I stopped only once to put the $11.73 I had into the gas tank, hoping this would be enough to get me up and back, even though I knew deep down it wouldn’t and I would probably have to bum some money once I got up there, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out. Read the rest of this entry »

I walked out into the field and inhaled the cold crisp air. I closed my eyes and let myself fall into a day dream. I was alone on a mountain in an unknown place. There were no signs of people or civilization in any direction I looked. The air was still and cold. I opened my eyes. Lily was running in the field chasing after a Frisbee I had thrown, she retrieved it and started running back towards me. I went through a mental checklist of all the things I needed done by day’s end. 1. Send out resumes, 2. Bring car in to get oil changed, 3. Go to bank and make deposit, 4. Job interview at 3:00, 5. Pick up food for dinner. I exhaled and watched my breath rise up into the air.

I have written about 4 drafts for this blog entry and decided that I do not know what to say. Being back home is hard and readjusting to the American life is harder. Ive spent the past three years living a lifestyle that is very counter-culture. Whenever I need to come back on track to “reality” I go through somewhat of a post-adventure depression. My heart wants to be free. I want to be in the mountains without having to worry about meaningless things like paying bills. Maybe I am just a dreamer and maybe there is no going back.

I took a quick trip down to Pennsylvania over the weekend to go to the PA Ruck, which is a gathering of former AT Thru-Hikers and dreamers. Being around so many people who live a similar lifestyle with the same dreams gave me comfort and motivation to work towards the next adventure in life. But for now its back to American Life. Read the rest of this entry »

The Boeing 747 taxied to the runway and I could see the Boudanath Stupa off in the distance, a place I visited just a few days earlier with Pranita. Just past the fences of the small Kathmandu airport the busy streets of the city could still be seen. The flight attendants were at the front giving safety procedures. The plane sped down the runway and took off. As soon as we were in the sky I looked out the window to see the Himalayas crystal clear, a rare sight from Kathmandu due to the air pollution. I stared at the massive wall of mountains as they got smaller and eventually out of site. I took a deep breath and said a silent goodbye to Nepal.

My last week in Kathmandu was spent busily running around the city to try and say goodbye to all of my new found friends and to shop for gifts for all my friends back home. The process of making deals and haggling over prices helped me to detach from the sadness of having to leave. I toyed with the idea of extending my flight back home, but knew that I really didn’t have the money. Everyday I met with a different friend, though I was pressured to see some more than once. Most everyone had the same questions. “When will you return to Nepal?” “Will you forget us?” I gave out my contact information, and promised them that I could never forget this place, and I promised to one day return. Read the rest of this entry »