The Modern Pioneer

        The air feels cold, but in a different way. The morning frost grasps upon the leaves of the old pine trees, but the scent of the forest is still very distinguished.  Each exhale of warm, oxygen deficient air interacts with the cold environment that creates a burst of steam that travels meters in length.  Each step in altitude is a step closer to glory.  When arriving to the top of the world, one can look out upon the vast wilderness and emotionally reconnect with nature.  The natural high and euphoria of achieving the top of the summit is inevitable.  The wild heart and spirit is once again reborn.  The modern pioneer emerges... 


What is it about wilderness and nature that inspires, motivates and emotionally connects with us? 


         For me, I feel like the only way I know who I'am is when I'm in the wilderness, surrounded by nature. Yet, I find myself sitting in traffic jams, smelling cigarettes of nearby drivers, blaring subwoofers of Cadillacs behind me and older gents in their corvettes with the tops down. Is this what life is? 9-5 jobs, 401k's, white picket fences and the long sought after weekend? It's just not me. It never has been. I'm not the type to go to college for a business degree, get married, have kids, work for a corporation, retire, die. If I was to tell you a fear of mine, it would be to have an average life. To me, the normal life is like watering down a perfectly aged red wine. 


         Pioneers were people of courage and adventure. They were the trailblazers for people with average lives. What happened to pioneers? Have they become extinct? I would hope not. Just because there aren't any areas on the map left to explore doesn't mean the adventurous spirit should die. The spirit of adventure still exists. It's the crushed dreams and settling for less that has stifled it. Open your heart and spread your wings like an eagle because the life of exploration and pioneering has yet begun!


         I've always been the adventurous type. Striving for the next adventure is honestly my life's mission statement. I'm an avid scuba diver, rock climber, mountaineer, etc. It wasn't until recently that it dawned on me,"Why am I not doing this for a living? Shouldn't I be spending my time and effort trying to live the dream?" These questions rang in my head for days. "What must I do to live a full life of adventure?" I have my dreams ahead of me and my goals in sight. The journey of getting to this point is exciting. Every ounce of determination and experience that I've had is coming together like never before. "Am I dreaming? Could I really be living my dream soon?" Absolutely! I've already taken the first step of making the decision to do it. Next is actually doing it. In the next 7 months I will be training in Alaska and Yukon Territory to become a mountaineering/backpacking/rafting wilderness guide. In conjunction with my dive training, I'm striving to become the ultimate wilderness guide, so I can introduce people to the natural wonders of the world. If this is what it takes to become a modern pioneer, I will do anything to achieve it.


        That was a description of my career goals. As far as a personal goal and enrichment of my life, I've set out and began training to climb Mt. Aconcagua in South America in December, 2012. It's the tallest mountain in the Western and Southern hemispheres. More to come about this...  


        In conclusion of this post, I hope that my dreams and goals have inspired you to rekindle your own dreams. If you could do anything, absolutely anything, what would it be? Have the answer? Do it! Take the risk. It's your life and your dreams. It's who you are that makes you unique. Become the pioneer for your goals.