I'm Alive Still, I Swear!!

Whether it's a true reflection that I'm really not suited for maintaining a consistent cyber presence on the web, or just the fact that I am buried up to my eyeballs in studying, I apologize for seemingly disappearing on you.  But in all fairness, I warned you that my life would likely devolve into something much less exciting and adventurous.  But that warning is only partly true, as I have begun an entirely new adventure, one in which amazing alpine vistas have been supplanted by power points and tooth decay.  A lot has changed since the end of my first JMT journey (spoiler alert: I'm toying with the idea of doing it again next year...).  My brother got married to his amazing wife.  I turned 24.  I moved to San Francisco.  I began dental school.  And I joined the U.S. Navy. 

After my trip, I had some seriously high aspirations for myself.  I was going to build on my peak fitness achieved on the trail and spur myself back into running shape.  I was going to write a gear review of all the pieces of gear we used on the trail.  I was going to get back into cooking real food.  Instead, I have only been exercising about twice a week, my gear has begun collecting dust in my closet, and I am still stuffing my face with oatmeal every day.  I'll chalk my failures up to this being a huge transition in my life.  

Speaking of which, being back in school has been exciting, albeit stressful.  Every day at UCSF I'm instilled with the powerful ethos of being the best dentist I can be, and such positive vibes have kept me chugging along through what has easily been the most intense academic experience of my life.  Maddie found a great job and has been incredibly supportive in the transition into dental school.  If you thought spending 24 days together in a tent would be a solid test for what living together would be like, then you were correct.  And I am pleased to report that we are both as happy now as we were during our sojourn through the Sierras.  

I have started writing a few songs again as a means of taking study breaks, and I thought it would be nice to post a few of them here.  One of them actually touches on just how much I miss being out on the trail with Maddie.  

A song I wrote called "6 by 4" (roughly the floor dimensions of our tent...)

Another song of mine, called "Toss and Turn"

Here's a cover of a song by Ron Pope, called "A Drop In The Ocean"

As winter closes in and I bid my tearful goodbye to the fresh Arkansas Black apples and organic strawberries that have graced our local farmers market, I am coming to terms with this being, for all intents and purposes, the end of my Sierra hiking season.  Not one for dwelling on such melancholy thoughts, however, I am tinkering with a few plans for how to spend my winter break in about one month's time.  Skiing with my dad, snow camping, training for a triathlon, Tahoe, and lest I forget, planning another thru hike for the coming summer.  These are the musings that keep me up at night, excited for adventures ahead.  Exhausted from yet another midterm, I'm going to go unwind for a bit before a cappella rehearsal.  And yes, you read that correctly.  I have joined yet another a cappella group named...wait for it....The Vocal Chords.  I'll let how perfectly that pun suits my personality sink in for minute.

Anyway,  I'll try to add photos to accompany this post when I have the time and muster the energy, both of which are in ever-dwindling supply.  Until then....

Ensign Harris, out!