I believe I can fly

For my entire childhood I would anxiously wait for my birthday to roll around so I could use my one wish for something that I wanted more than anything in the world at the time. I wanted to fly. Just like Robin Williams in Hook, I wanted to pretend I was Peter Pan soaring above everyone else. Somewhere along my path to being a teenager I got the idea that I was "wasting" my wish. It getting time to grow up. I always felt a little cheated as a kid not being able to fly because everyone can do anything if they try hard enough right????

Well yesterday I found out I, that age old cliche is no lie. Here's the story-

I committed to Alaska, I was going to go up and manage the Juneau store for Del Sol. I was going to continue logging my new adventures and life would be awesome. Then the twist. Last week I got a call from a local paragliding company called Superfly. The wanted to have me come in that week and interview.... I had applied a month before on a whim. This couldn't all be happening could it? I knew I was going to Alaska and I was even getting to have one of my best friends come with me.

I figured more interview experience wouldn't hurt and who knows it they might like me enough to let me interview again after Alaska. Friday I went in to Superfly not knowing what to expect. Instantly I was greeted by Chris Santacroce, he was a super nice guy. The two other employees came out and introduced themselves and everyone was so nice. Right away I felt like this was somewhere I needed to be. I should have done a little more research about everything before the interview but I just went into it with my heart on my sleeve.

Before I knew it the interview was up and I was out the door. Immediately I thought of 100,002,084,129 questions I should have asked and things I should have done to show more interest. I really needed some time to decompress, I had just decided to go to Alaska, two of my closest friends were in town on spring break who I hadn't seen in years, one of my best friends was probably going to jail in the next two days, I had three mid terms to do and my mom and I had just gotten into a huge argument about life. I had way too many first world problems.

Monday rolls around and I am riding this stoke from the interview. Everyone I shared the news with was so excited for me. After doing my research I come to find out that my two bosses Chris and Jeff are some of the biggest names in paragliding around the world. Chris Santacroce is part of Red Bulls Air Force team and arguably the best paraglider ever. The guy officially went pro at 17 for hell sakes! Jeff Farrell is an Emmy award winning cinematographer............. I had just interviewed with these dudes totally clueless about who they were. IDIOT.

By noon on Monday I had pretty much succumb to the fact that I did not get the job. The phone call came...... I recognized the number from the week before. It was Superfly. Ashley got on and told me that Chris and Jeff wanted to extend the job offer to me........... Immediately I start shaking. I say I would love to, run back to my table in the library and frantically try to gather my things quietly and get out of the building so I can break my composure. I instantly start calling all my family and close friends to tell them the crazy news. I got the job. I didn't care about the pay (I still hadn't even heard what I was going to make). I didn't care about my mid terms. I was overcome with emotion. I was on cloud nine and anyone within 500 ft could easily see it.  Late last night I got the formal e-mail from Chris extending the job offer to me.

I cannot thank everyone enough for all of the support the past two weeks, helping me through my decisions. They have not been easy. It is no stretch to say LIFE IS GOOD for me at the moment. THANK YOU!

You can be anything. I know it. I am finally going to be able to fly (as much as I want and for free with training from my awesome bosses!!!!!!! crazy). Never let life get you down. Sometimes in our darkest hours is when we find out just how bright our light can be. If you have suffered through this long blog post, I hope it was worth your time. As always-

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam

Oh by the way this is a video of my new boss... so crazy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lXYWWXRVaoE

Decisions.....

Just got a call from Superfly Utah, a local paragliding company. They want me to interview for their repair/inspection job. The listing said they want someone who is just fun to be around and has basic knowledge of a sewing machine..... I applied a few weeks ago, long before Alaska was on the table.
I made lots of pillows as a kid with my grandma, and made seat covers for my jeep. That's about as much knowledge as I have on a sewing machine. I said that in my cover letter and apparently that was enough to get them interested. I have always dreamed of going skydiving a lot and eventually ending up in a wingsuit. Call me crazy. I probably am, but I have always felt that jumping off a cliff in some whacked out suit was something that I needed to do. Is this my chance to get into the industry?

I have no idea what to think. I am so torn right now between my bike riding/Alaska/paragliding job.

Elated, confused, anxious, stressed. Which is the best path for my future? I know I will love wherever I end up this summer. But damn these decisions are tough.

Oh and I am most likely going to impulse buy a bmx bike today. I want to really progress my riding, and right now I think that comes in the form of a little bmx bike.

WISH ME LUCK!

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam

Happiness is best when shared.

I have compiled a list of some of my favorite bits from around the web. Fortunately I haven't had very low low's recently but inspiration is good wherever/whenever. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

adventure-journal.com

Such a sweet website, a great mix of editorials, news, videos and more.

bikemag.com

Great source for anything mountain bike related.

youtube.com

Of course, as much as I love the people are awesome videos, sometimes I think video my watching needs to have a little more focus. I frequently search, Danny MacAskill, Martyn Ashton, skimboard, and surf videos.

forgemotionpictures.com/films/of_souls_water/

These guys roll out some seriously breathtaking short films any one of their videos is a winner, but I especially like the Shapeshifter one. SO SICK.

filmsforaction.org

Got an hour or two of time to kill waiting for your hot date? Watch a documentary on something you love/hate/are clueless about. This site has it all.

These are my top 5 websites. We have no idea how lucky we are to have internet. Use it for what it is good for, don't just go finding skin flicks to wank it to. Do something useful; learn something new because.... lets face it, life sucks without progression.

The grass is green on this side of the fence just pick your damn head up and find it.

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam

Juneau what you are doing this summer?

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a really british dry awful sense of humor. Spend a day with me and you hear way more puns that you ever thought imaginable. I am not sorry. I make myself laugh, some may think that it is wrong or twisted to make yourself laugh, but I'd rather laugh than cry. Until that changes let the pun river flow freely.

I am 99% sure I am going to Juneau this summer. All I have to do is send the e-mail, which will most likely happen tomorrow morning. I cannot wait. I got my mountain bike in today to be serviced so I will be ready to roll the second I set foot in Alaska. I am so stoked. I really do not want this next paragraph to come off as some douchey wine sipping late night fire talk but I think it needs to be said.

STOP SAYING YOU WISH YOU HAD THE LIFE I HAVE. If you really want to travel the world and go see things and experience life from the drivers seat. GET IN THE GOD DAMN DRIVERS SEAT. So many people let life pass them by and just watch helplessly through the window. I have learned that no matter where you go, there you are. People all over the world are almost exactly alike in how they live their life. What really sets people apart in this world is ambition. Go out and get whatever you want. If you fail, fail hard. Don't cut yourself short.

I am going to Alaska, because one year ago my best friend asked me to go on an adventure. He saw what I see in so many people around me. Ambition waiting to be set free. Thank god I had the balls to say yes, and get started on the adventure of a lifetime. And soon the adventure continues. I challenge all who read this to find your ambition and set out on your journey. I am a quote nerd and here are some more bits from my phone journal. We all should live these ways a little bit more. Myself included.

You'll never win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket.

Be nice to the people on the way up, because they're the same ones you'll meet on the way down.

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam

Hopefully my next post will be me spewing how stoked I am to have landed my first 180 Endo on my bike. We'll see

The Final Frontier.....

Alaska. WHAT?

So let me give you some background. I have been eagerly searching for my next big adventure. All along I thought it was going to be a new job here in SLC that would allow me to travel during my free time in the summer. I really wanted to cement a position as an outside sales rep in the outdoor industry. This is still an option, but it will not be easy. I have already applied and inquired to around ten different companies in the mountain west to see what they have open for this summer.

Just to keep my foot in the door I decided that I would e mail my internship adviser at Del Sol. I told her if there was anything opening up for this summer, keep me posted. She instantly started asking specifics of when I could be available, I had this gut feeling that she was thinking about something. About an hour later she sends me an e mail saying, Hey how would you like to go to Juneau, Alaska........ find some friends and I'll send you dudes for 5 months. DAMN.

I still don't know what to think of it all. A lot of people have been asking me what my next big thing is.... could this be it? I would be gone until the end of September, missing the first month of fall semester..... Can I miss another semester? Can I do online classes? Is this too good to pass up? I don't know what to think.

If you come to a fork in the road take it?

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam

The Mix

Adjusting to Salt Lake City life is still pretty weird. School came back pretty easy and I am not having to hard of a time keeping my grades up. The best way I can describe life here is stale. The bar was set high for me the past 8 months. So to come back to the same place I have lived my entire life, it is pretty clear why I feel like nothing is new.

I changed a whole hell of a lot while I was away. I can't wait to get out again. It is frustrating to feel like I don't know what my next big adventure is. I had the chance to go over to my grandma's tonight and it was fun to hear all of her stories. It is wild to see how she talks in circles when she is having casual conversation about day to day things, but when she starts talking about the different things she has collected from all over the world she can tell you a story about everything. It is so cool.

I miss hearing so many different stories. So many people here in Utah have the exact same story. I miss the feeling in St. Thomas that, EVERYONE has a story. Now I know that not all of the people in Utah are boring and have no story, but the stories here are nothing compared to those in St. Thomas.

I leave you, whoever you are with a few bits from the Journal I keep on my phone.

No day but today

Find your room with a view

So many people travel the world, yet see nothing.
Stop and stare, take it all in.

Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors

-Kam