Friday, March 21, 2014

New Chapters - Canoeing, Freelancing, and of course Saving the Animals!

It's been quite the week. I've been jonesin for some life changes, it's time. I've been irritable and wanderlusting and driving around the countryside with very little aim, all signs. I've been avidly watching BMX and skateboarding and motocross documentaries about Mat Hoffman and Danny Way (go watch "The Birth of Big Air" right now!) My truck's fuel pump went out and I didn't have wheels for the weekend, liked to kill me. (This did give me the opportunity to meet some cool people though, like the guy that helped me out of the road, the cop that drove Snakebyte and I home who was awesome and we had a long discussion about Border Collies, and the girl driving the tow truck - I have a broken neck, she has a broken back, but we both are badass and handled things.) Big thanks to Daniel Hale, Jon Langlinais, and Poupie's for bailing me out!
Anyway, I had to miss camping due to the truck but luckily Nic took Liam, so at least he got to go. Didn't help with my pissy mood, stupid Ides of March. But luckily I have awesome friends (thanks Bike Maldwin, and Marlon!) that totally helped. And this week started, it just got better from there.

Firstly, Tuesday was my second day hanging out at Waggin Train's new clinic with Dr. Scott Broussard. I had contacted his wife Kristin (also a vet) and him about getting back in the vetting world, and they are incredibly awesome and letting me go whenever I can, just to see what I can do. I had to work this week on my schedule not being so piece-mealed so I can go on a more regular basis. Just about every day is my goal. I'm incredibly happy there. The entire staff is sweet and knowledgeable, the clinic is new and state-of-the-art, and the medicine they practice is high quality. That along with incredibly caring doctors really makes this the best experience for me. Plus, they're triathletes. Plus, Scott's a falconer. I could go on and on about the awesomeness they are, but suffice to say, I'm happier than I have been in ages. I can't thank them enough.

Also this week I started some freelance work for an independent Baton Rouge publication called Dig; I'm stoked about this. I love writing, and I basically have free rein to write about any sports I want, bicycles, and vet med/pets. It doesn't pay big, but it's awesome to do something productive again.
Along those lines, I'm gearing up to get my real estate license and work with Gabe Lewis, one of the best people you'd ever meet in the business. It will at the very least be a good interim job for me, I'm quite excited about it. I'll let you know as it progresses!

Lastly but not leastly, racing racing. The Zydeco Half is less than two weeks away, good times! I have Not trained for it. My focus has been hardcore strength training which just isn't conducive to endurance training. I have to focus on strength to get back to walking without a cane. But I'm participating in it, and am so excited to be part of Lafayette's inaugural marathon!
I also just today started training for the 3-day, 135 mile canoe race Tour du Teche, which Dennis Wise (who lives on Bayou Teche) invited me to race with him. He's also an avid runner, Pilates instructor, qigong master, barefoot Yellowstone hiker, etc. I have a lot to learn and a lot of muscle to build, but the race is in October so I have the time I need. Never have I personally conquered that "it's about the journey, not about the destination" idea; for me it's ALL about the goal. With this, though, with Dennis's obviously very grounded outlook on life and how much of a teacher he is, the journey's going to be a key part in my personal growth. Stoked.

I was tough and strong, I got knocked back so far I couldn't even feed myself, and while I would never say it was good I got hit, the time I had to take off allowed me to hone myself in, and participate in things that are going to make me tougher and stronger than ever. I'm not saying that I'm better off for the injury, I'm saying that that hiccup in my life was not a deal breaker after all. I'm back on the path to being better and better, just as I was before. I can stretch up all the way to the sky now, I haven't been able to do that in over a year. Life feels so good. Ever onward.

Wanderlusting
There's a Kestrel in this photo

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