open to experience

Self-reflection. Key to understanding self. interaction. relation as the ship sails.

open to experience.
open to emotion.
laugh long and hard.
smile. enjoy every moment.

with pure enjoyment the world around simplifies, sometimes stopping.
let go and feel minutes pass like hours. day past feels like a week. the end result is intense as is the let down of the end when you're forced to let go and leave.
anticipate as another moment awaits...

it's tears at the top of the last climb at mile 210 or the finish of a first 60 mile cross race. happiness clogs your lungs and heart; you can hardly breath.
it's the lowest low felt in a 100 mile epic mountain bike race when your body throbs from a hard crash and extreme fatigue sets in, tears flow; you walk in a dizzy state of delirium. You hurt. mind questions the reality of finishing.

it's coming off of that low and making it to that finish and hearing a roar of friends celebrating a feat. your feat. your success. pushing through. everyone - everyone - is happy - for you.

it's sharing success with others training. support, laughter, intense bonding that only they can really understand. intense physical exertion.

it's laughing when pain burns the most. crying without worry of what others will think.

it's the thrill of racing down a mountain at 45MPH + on skinny tires. similarly reaching that vista atop of a long hard climb, panting, sweating yet in awe of the magnificent valley view.

It's the reaching a top peak just as the sun rises. No voice other than your own. Perfect, peaceful silence.

experiencing intensity in serious relationships, for the joy of the moment - the month - the year - given the possibility of increased pain in a possible or even inevitable end. the end can be so long and hard and painful. yet the beginning so magical.

it's diving into an ice cold alpine backcountry wilderness lake, feeling your heart stop, lungs cease and mind race. you die for a split moment, resuscitated with sharp breath of life. heart races, energy high.



it's summiting a 13000' peak, holding hands, passion and joy, forgetting and overcoming fear of height.

it's meeting someone new, unexpectedly by chance. laughing long and hard. sharing a series of perfect moments over days that feel like weeks. absorbing every moment. saying goodbye. not knowing yet hopeful paths will cross again in a future unknown.

it's caring about so many people in such a deep and genuine way that you lose count; sometimes even losing track of yourself in others. yet finding complete comfort in time alone, knowing yourself.

seek adventure. explore the new. experience and truly live life.
life is seriously good. ironically, for the time being, it's led alone. yet not.

i like it. it's perfect. finally, it's good.