headed down south to the land of the pine. thumbin' my way into north caroline...

for the second time, in as many ski seasons, i have had the pleasure of venturing a little further west to soak up some sun and sand in the desert of utah with a few of my favorite telluride folks. this year's adventure found us in moab for one glorious evening by the campfire, and then two fun filled days in goblin valley. climbing mounds of hardened dirt and hiking slot canyons. feasting by the fire and sleeping under the stars. it's a good time to slow down from the slowed-down life. telluride is simple living but things tend to get hectic the last weeks of the season. there are moves to be made (just lugged all my belongings three blocks down the valley to a new awesome home for the summer. wait til you see my view!), jobs and unemployment options to be sorted out. parties to attend and friends to say farewell to. i have gotten quite good at most of the aforementioned. i can pack and move in an afternoon, work keeps slipping into place miraculously, late nights at the bars are a welcome interruption to my previous 4:45am wake-up calls, but the goodbyes still get me. it still hurts to know my favorites will be a little farther away than i would like. and sometimes there's the possibility i may not see them again. but paths tend to twist and turn and i wait and hope for the next time they cross or merge for another adventure.
so i've moved all my things into a new house. piled high in the corner they will wait for my return. i've got a little traveling to do in the mean time. utah was just the start. thrown on the front leg last minute, but much needed and very delightful. watched sunsets with the boys. made some new friends around the campfire. was reminded how small the world really is. as if the arching dome of nightly stars didn't impress that point enough, i come to find my new friend jay is cousin's with my ol' charlotte friend tim. i love random connections. after exploring the rocks and sand i headed east with my trusty sidekick marley dog and dave byers, our newest partner in crime. he is headed for the appalachian trailhead in georgia, and i said i would be much obliged to take him, if he would let me document his first steps. so the journey goes. now off to charlotte, north carolina to see my "family" and photograph my friend's wedding. looking forward to some southern hospitality and catching up times. bring on the hushpuppies!