Gratitude List of Friends
Life has been rocky as of late, but often that means I need to simply break the tunnel vision, allowing myself to see all the many great things in life. On my road trip I had a handful of people who were truly fabulous friends, so thought today I would give an online thanks to show my appreciation for these people.
Rob (also referenced as Shaft)
Rob is one of my dearest friends and helped me out a bunch while on this trip. Not only was he always supportive and encouraged my decision to travel, he was kind enough to store some of my belongings, gathered my mail, and provided me a place to crash whenever I stopped back in SLC. He was always there to drop or pick me up from the airport and would give me advice when car troubles arose. I truly don’t know what I would do without him in my life.
Enjoying martinis at the Red Door.
Melissa (also referenced as Lil Chicka)
I met my friend Melissa right before my road trip and she became one of my dearest friends while traveling. Sometimes life on the road can be rough …. I know that sounds silly, but sometimes it truly can get bumpy. It was nice to have a friend who understood “road living life” and who always had a store of advice when needed. She seemed to always have the ability to pull my perspective back around and realize my fortunate way of life. Now that I am home, she is such a fabulous climbing partner with amazing stick clipping abilities. =)
Melissa impresses me with her love of animals and now has her own pet walking and sitting business.
Guillaume
I didn’t know Guillaume when I rolled into Fontainebleau, yet he still opened up his home to me for 3 weeks. It was such a kind gesture and he quickly became a good friend and an excellent bouldering partner. He even introduced me to the movie “Out of Africa” and would sing countless rounds of “Girl from Ipanema”. I really can’t think of how my time in Fontainebleau could have been any better, thanks to Guillaume.
Showing me how to operate the grocery carts in France.
Ed
I met Ed days before my trip, but he became a friend during my travels, sending me pics of his latest adventures and giving me advice on injuries. When I wanted to head overseas for 6 weeks he generously offered to watch my little pup. He was only supposed to watch her for 3 of the weeks, but asked to keep her the entire 6 weeks. He then took her to the vet when necessary and continually sent me pictures and movies to let me know my little one was well. CB is of the utmost importance to me, and having someone be so kind to her while I was away was so incredibly nice.
I don’t have a pic of Ed, but this is one of the pics he sent me while I was away. His dog Cleo and CB became good friends.
Steve (also known as the King of Caley)
I met Steve in Bishop, where we had a lot of time to get to know one another due to our concurrent injuries. When he learned I had booked my ticket to Europe, he offered to show me around the grit stone if I wanted to swing through England. I, of course, took him up on the offer and had two splendid weeks in England visiting the Yorkshire and Peak crags. Not only is Steve a fellow climber and extremely witty, but he truly is the only person I have ever met who can fully understand my family situation. Our family situations are so similar we can honestly complete each other’s sentences. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have someone understand me in this area. On top of all that, he won the Twitter climber pickup contest with the line, “Do you mind spotting me as I am about to fall for you.” Classic! =)
This is one of the few “smiles” he let slip by on camera. =)
Pang
I met Pang on my very last days in Bishop, which were also my last days of the US portion of my trip. He became a great sounding board, listening and giving me good advice about a wide range of subjects. He continues to be a dear friend and is kind enough to be my continual grammar pro, reviewing my resumes, cover letters and blog posts. Plus, he is one of my favorite Scrabble partners, though I am pretty sure he lets me win just to keep me smiling … =)
Pang letting me win at yet another Scrabble match in the Tetons.
Thanks, everyone!