Although I have never muttered to myself more often in my life the sentance, "Freaking hippies!" I sent a text out this morning to my new coach Matt Shriver saying, "Matt... I think I'm in love... With DURANGO!" Regardless of all the "its cool to be cool" chaco wearing pot head rock climbers. I woke up one of the first days I was here on my ridiculously uncomfortable dorm matress and the words of a bright eyes song came into my head, "Everything must belong somewhere, I know that now, that's why I'm staying here." As usual I am facing some financial set backs but somehow things are working out very well. This place is beautiful. There are so many great people here and I have made some great friends. Matt and Dave are awesome coaches and I feel I can instill a lot of trust in them. They do a lot of hard work for us. Last weekend I got to train on the 7-eleven Olympic Velodrome in Colorado Springs. The experience gave a me a dash of vertigo because your biking on an incline of like 45 degrees with people like Kerry Higgins, a female world champion, staring at you funny behind a polite smile because I so obviously was/am a n00b with a look of "awh" on my face. But I felt so privlaged at the opportunity. Before I came here I was experiencing a lot of depression from lack of structure and purpose as a human in life, but this place gives me meaning. I have done some volunteering here that has opened up a can of opportunities as well. For example this weekend is the Single Speed World Championships are in Durango. My friend Kate Shavel and me are coarse marshaling. Its fun to be a part of the action and you get to meet a lot of people.
Along with class, studying and homework, training, volunteering, socializing, and racing, I am trying to find a job. So far the only offer I have is at McDonalds... LAAAME. But hey. Money is money.
