We Protec, We Attac, But Most Importantly We Adapt

As a free-spirited planner, I often oscillate between feeling go-with-the-flow on the one hand and tied-to-my-originally-scheduled-programming on the other. I find the latter is especially true with things like this road trip with Morgan, where I feel a bit of (self-inflicted) pressure to make this the most amazing and perfect experience she’s ever had (plus we wrote it all out in a spreadsheet (with nice fonts and link embeds and everything) so it’s kind of bummer to deviate from it). 

But because I lost--and then found--my phone, we missed out on a day of climbing in Vegas. We spent a day each in Moe’s Valley and Joe’s Valley, but rain (does Utah not understand what a desert is?) prevented us from climbing all the days we planned for. With more rain on the horizon as we continue our journey eastward (I’m pretty sure we are literally following an inclement weather system), we have had/are having to do some time-reconfiguration.

So this week has been all about adapting and remembering that plans can change and that’s OK because something about lemons and lemonade or whatever. 

In Utah, that meant tackling a few very strenuous hikes in non-ideal conditions (great views, soggy shoes). 

In Denver, we’ve been living the (mile) high life in a condo that Morgan’s friends own. We put the most adorable unicorn stickers on our nails and subsequently scratched them all off the next day at the gym (#justclimberthings) where we met Alex Puccio (?!?).

I got to visit some friends whom I haven’t seen in a few years, and yes, we still got to do some climbing. Morgan flashed a V5 (who is she???), and I’ve... added new projects to my ever-increasing list--I’m not going to blame my tools (I am not a poor carpenter, after all), but my shoes are looking worse for wear and it might be time for an upgrade. 

Morgan has been so accommodating regarding the changing schedule (she doesn’t really have a choice but it’s still nice). Her gratitude and positivity constantly remind me how truly lucky we are to be out here at all. If rain is the worst thing that happens to us, we will consider it a success. 

Next up, Chattanooga! Wish us luck as we traverse 1,300 miles of corn across the American Midwest.