Complete Happiness, Complete Freedom

In general, I am a pretty happy person. I am of the attitude that despite the hardships that life can sometimes bring, life is generally good, and that the good in life usually prevails. But right now, I am REALLY happy. Overwhelmingly happy. Happier than I have been in over two years. It truly is amazing what accomplishing a dream can do for you.

The ocean really puts things in perspective for you, and finishing my most ambitious dream to date puts things in the most amazing light. I really do feel like a new person. The more I think about it, the more things actually set in and I realize what we have accomplished. Being back in Arizona really makes it hit home. Every step I have taken in Arizona has been post-capsize, and thus, up until 7:05 p.m. on Sunday night, every step I took, every mountain I climbed, every hike, every bike ride, every sunrise, every sunset had been burdened with the heavy weight of an unfinished dream. My friends in AZ had never known me pre-capsize, and therefore could not have known the true impact of the monstorous monkey on my back, but it was always there, always on my mind, haunting my every move, mocking my attempts at every other endeavour that was not pushing me to right the upturned hull of my very soul. And now, I see Arizona in a whole new light. Standing outside of the fifth floor of LSE with some of my labmates, waving at my mentor who was waving back at us from atop A-Mountain, I could see the wet winter green peaks of Camelback and Phoenix Mountain Preserve behind them, the setting sun off to the west, and the limitless horizon of my future stretching out beyond the last rays in every direction. My weight is lifted and the world is such a beautiful place again. Freedom and complete happiness in this beautiful world. Freedom to pursue anything to which I put my mind. Complete happiness that only comes with the completion of a dream.

I promise that I’ll start writing real posts here shortly, I’ve got a million stories, I just have to let it all sink in first…

"Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face

Do You Realize - we're floating in space

Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry

Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes

Let them know

You realize that life goes fast

It's hard to make the good things last

You realize the sun doesn't go down

It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round"

- The Flaming Lips

(one of my favs on the ocean and everywhere else)