have more adventures

Well, I’m always thinking too much. That’s a flaw if you ask me. I hate sitting back and watching people, observing more then I’m experiencing. But I suppose it’s just who I am. Anyhow, that’s not why I’m writing this. Or maybe it is.

Tomorrow I am heading out to go camping for the very first time. Yeah I live in the middle of nowhere and I’ve never been camping. Never ridden a horse. I have gone hiking! Fishing wasn’t my thing. But I realized I envy the people I hear talking about all this cool stuff they’re doing all the time. These plans their making to go rock climbing, or canoing, or camping, or caving. So I’m going to make more of an effort to do things that are more adventurous.

I play a lot of instruments and today I acquired yet another. A cello! So that’s going to be a little adventure, learning how to play it. My friend plays really well and she’s going to teach me ^_

The other day my boyfriend and me went rock climbing. Err, kind of… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doane_Rock That’s where we went and climbed up and down it a billion times XD It was really fun, it was such a nice day! Lot of pollen on top of it though. Afterward, we went swimming in a pond near by to cool off.

Whoa, what an adventure! On the way down to Leeds, due to the undoubtedly crap route taken by our beloved Megabus, I had my first hitch-hiking experience! In making our way out of the sulphurous entrance to hell that is Woolley Edge Service Station, we finally received a lift from a kindly bloke called Owen from the West Country who talked to us about scrumpy. A really positive first experience, so it was.

Queer Insurrection was a lot of fun, we were staying in a squatted house in Leeds, which has become one of my favourite cities. Took part in a lot of interesting discussions (re-radicalizing queer and queer history in particular), met some great folks, watched naff porn, danced to Prince til 4am… :D

On the 22nd I managed to head over to see one of my favourite bands, Defiance Ohio at Leeds uni. The atmosphere was a bit odd because of the time and venue but I was so excited to see them and it was a great gig regardless. The support, Madeline, was great as well.

On the 25th I headed from Leeds to Lancaster to see the band again! I was slightly nervous as I was relying on one of the people putting on the gig there (at the Yorkshire House, if youse are ever down that way I’d highly recommend it) for a place to kip, otherwise I’d be unrolling my sleeping bag in the Sainsbury’s car park pretty much. :/ He pulled through though and I had the use of a very comfortable couch that night (which seemed like a proper luxury after sleeping on the floor in Leeds the previous four days).

The gig itself was absolutely amazing though. The Lancaster support bands were really good (particularly Say Nice Things About Everyone and Get Serious) and Defiance Ohio themselves just blew me away. The atmosphere was much better than the Leeds gig, everyone was just singing their hearts out and dancing like crazy. Definitely one of the best gigs I’ve been to, if not the best.

To top it off, as I was staying with one of the organizers I got to chat with the band while they were getting packed up. They seem like such awesome folks, plus I got a hug off Will who’s such a sweetheart. Wow, fangirl moment. Squee.

Wow. Hung out with queer hippie pagans for four days which was a bit of an experience in itself. The emotional openness with which people approached things with really refreshing, if a bit tiring at times. I was really surprised at the extent to which everyone connected with each other – I would’ve expected a superficial bond, if any, to have taken place over a period of time so small, but… I dunno. It seems weird trying to explain it now, in this setting. The whole atmosphere was so different, in ways I can’t really put my finger on or express in words at least.

The setting was really beautiful as well. The Faeries there own however many acres of land it is, plus these old farmhouse buildings, where we slept, prepared meals, etc. Although it was only half an hour from the nearest town I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much that I was out in the wild, you know? The stars were utterly amazing as well – with the absence of light pollution, the sky was literally filled with them.

I had so many new experiences – swimming in a lake, cleaning out a compost toilet (!), collecting wild food for dinner, eating a baguette in Paris… :P

The workshops were great, the people were (mostly) really nice… all in all it was pretty amazing.

(thnx to Koen for the photo)

Many of life’s adventures aren’t planned events because our plans rarely come about exactly as we anticipated. The key to filling my life with adventures is to go with the flow, take chances, jump in without knowing how something will turn out, act in spite of my fears, leave my expectations at the door and remember that random and little choices shape my life in ways I can never anticipate.

I breifly met a young man who hiked the entire trail alone. He met and befriended many people along the way, had many unforgetable adventures and met several bears up close and personal. It took him 6 months. To all the young people out there with nothing but time on your hands…HAVE ADVENTURES while you still can. Not that all mine are behind me but I cant see practically tackeling something so grand as the APT though its always been a dream.

Mostly involving rooftops, or at least trespassing.
Roof of the 1912 building, roof of the library (and almost getting caught there), the Charlie Brown House…getting invited to and then kicked out of a Latino Dance Party. Whatever, anyway, my adventuring has been quite successful, and I am going to continue exploring forever, but for now I have completed this goal!

around Moskow
that I need to go on

• Witches Graveyard
• Climb the water tower at the edge of town
• Get on to the library roof
• Explore that one haunted house
• See The Top Of The World
• Find a way on to the Admin Building roof
• Explore the steam tunnels
• ?

two weekends ago, we did paintball and sang karaoke. it was fun.

Last night, kathleen, evan, <3max<3 and I walked over to the Capitol and watched the national symphony orchestra perform a free outdoor concert.
Today, max and I went over to the movies and saw two movies!! WE SNUCK INTO THE SECOND ONE!!! it was hamlet 2, VERRRY good.
so many adventures!!