“Oh, and bring your boots. We’re going to Rocky Mountain for some hiking and training.”
Fifteen glorious words I heard this morning from my new boss Kris Wagner at Backpacker Magazine’s Colorado outpost. In a couple weeks, I’m going to a National Park to get started on my new gig.
I’m just beside myself. Really. It can happen. It is happening. This…wow.
After the past few weeks of rallying to get things together to land a post-grad job, a summer internship with the Map Editor landed in my lap. I’ll admit it, I got lucky, but when Irish eyes are smiling, good things can happen. It’s not glorious or high-paying. Still, it’s a wonderful convergence of so many elements of my life that I love. Happy people are productive. Shiny happy people. You know the song, sing it.
In any event, I will be working with the GPS Map Project archiving, mapping and writing up GPS hikes from professional hikers and the hundreds of volunteers that hike amazing trails and catalogue them in their GPS unit of choice.
It’s out in Erie, which isn’t far from Boulder. Twenty minutes out on the country mile, with mountains and the beautiful Boulder Valley below and the Flatirons in view above. I interviewed on Tuesday and got the call today. June 7th it begins. Twelve weeks of getting paid to do something like this. Inspiration to do the job well.
After 15,000 miles of rivers and roads in the Summer of ‘04, I will apply my newly minted Master’s in Mass Communication Research to an online magazine, while at the same time helping with content for their print edition. You’ll see me in print these days. What Backpacker and GPS are doing for hiking is akin to what Apple and the iPod are doing to music, and I get to be a part of it. More technology. media, writing and learning. All things I need to thrive, but this time it includes the outdoors, which I need to survive. This planet needs to be felt, seen, heard, and dreamed. Living it all is even better.
Those who get it, do.
—
And we all spin in our hamster wheels. My wheel…well, it’s a little more tranquil and serene. Indeed, there will plenty of work, and when deadline rolls around it’s time to get there with a fury. I am excited for this next challenge, and I figure it’s the first of many steps in the right direction. In twelve weeks I might have to find something else, but for now I am more excited about this than anything that I’ve been up to lately. Download file.
—
Now it’s off to New Mexico for mountain forests, desert hot springs, and houses that look like they belong on Tatooine. Maybe we’ll indulge with some other spas in the Santa Fe area.
In sum:
The river it stretches for miles on end
The river it climbs, it tumbles and bends
Know that your travels might not go as planned
The currents flow swiftly, all over this land…
From the Front Strange, where things start to look up.
Posted by ajm at May 25, 2005 10:57 PM