Update: Goal #9) Climb Mount Whitney

March 28, 2012 Leave a comment

At an elevation of 14,505 feet, Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. The hike to the summit and back is twenty-two miles with a gain of 6,100 feet. Whitney will be the second mountain I’ve climbed (the first was Mount Saint Helens.) The entry date for my hiking permit is July 17th, and I’ll spend three nights on the mountain.

I’m ready for a big dose of fresh air and nature!

My past experiences in the backcountry have always been short day hikes, but the hectic pace of those adventures made it almost impossible to enjoy the moment. On those trips, it was about getting to the top. Climbing Whitney will be different. And while the summit is the primary objective, the journey to the top will be more of a focus than in the past.

I’ve got four months to prepare, and there are lots of preparations yet to be made. I’ve learned the hard way that being in the backcountry requires proper planning. I damn near died on Half Dome and I’ve slept in the dirt in the middle of bear and rattlesnake country (the stars were beautiful.) Sure, I’ve got some crazy stories to tell from those adventures, but I’d rather enjoy myself and be comfortable. Dying just doesn’t seem like much fun.

Besides, it’s not as if I’d planned on running out of water. And if I’d had a proper backpacking tent instead of a huge “car camping” tent, I wouldn’t have had to sleep on the ground worrying that a rattlesnake was going to slither into my sleeping bag during the middle of the night. No doubt, even with all the preparations, I’m sure to have some stories to tell!

Filed under Backcountry, Goals, Mount Whitney, Travel, Yosemite

Goal #68) Tour the White House

February 25, 2012 4 Comments

I’d almost forgotten writing to my Congressman requesting a tour of the White House.

After two months of hearing nothing, an email. My tour was scheduled for January 3rd, leaving me a week and a half to prepare. I booked my flight, and called Erin to tell her the good news. We’d have four days in Washington, DC. Just enough time to have a little bit of fun, but not nearly enough time to see everything.

We did what we could with the time we had…

Ford’s Theater, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, the Smithsonian, the United States Capitol, the National Zoo, the Air and Space Museum, the National Archives, and, of course, the White House.

I did my best to shuffle my feet as slowly as possible while inside.

The tour winds its way through the lower level where you get to peek into the Vermeil Room, the Library, and China Room. The Diplomatic Reception Room was closed during our tour. Then you climb a flight of stairs to the main level, and pass through the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, and the State Dining Room. The President’s living quarters and the Oval Office are off-limits for obvious reasons, and my tweets to President Obama asking him to join me for coffee went unanswered.

I love visiting DC. It reminds me how lucky I am to live in this wonderful country. I think every American should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Check out my photos from my trip to Washington, DC!

Filed under DC, Goals

The Most Important Year of My Life

December 30, 2011 2 Comments

Rare are the moments when what happens next will influence the rest of your life.

But that’s exactly where my life is today. It’s both exciting, and frightening. After years of being in the classroom, I finally graduated last week. I guess that means I’m a scientist. (Weird.) And now that I’m a scientist, at least in my education, it’s time to change the world. How, exactly, I go about doing that is yet to be determined.

Even though I’ve graduated, I’m enrolled in classes for Spring semester. I haven’t had much luck (any luck) finding a job (any job.) Instead of hanging around the apartment feeling sorry for myself, I’m going to use that time to further my education. There were some classes that I didn’t have an opportunity to take before graduation, and now that I have the time, it’d be a waste not to use it to my benefit.

Enrolling in classes isn’t without problems. If I receive an invitation to serve in the Peace Corps, I may have to drop out of school as early as April. But that’s only if I receive an invitation, and my departure date isn’t delayed for any reason. I’ve heard horror stories about that. At this point, I still have to submit what I hope will be the last of my medical information, which I expect will be mailed out within a couple of weeks. I still have one appointment before the paperwork is complete.

For a while I questioned whether the Peace Corps was the right choice for me at this point in my life. I think it is. An opportunity like this rarely presents itself…I’d be a fool to turn it down. And after writing a research paper about the connection between poverty and the environment in Tanzania, I feel like I have a better understanding of the types of issues I might be dealing with during my time in Africa. Knowledge is power! And now that I know more about the problems, I feel empowered to do my part to help. I might not be able to save the world, but I can help dig a well, or build a school.

Two years is a long time, and I know it’ll put a strain on my relationship with Erin. How could it not? Long distance relationships are notorious for problems. As much as I’d like to think our relationship is strong enough to weather the time apart, I don’t take it for granted that we’re not immune from the same problems other couples face. That said, I really think that if anyone can do it, we can.

In the meantime, until I hear something from the Peace Corps, I’ll continue looking for work. My job search will be limited to jobs that I wouldn’t have any issue quitting at the drop of a hat. It’d be a lot more difficult to quit a job I went to school for, and those are the kinds of bridges I’m not willing to burn, even for the Peace Corps.

And if none of the above works out, I’ll begin applying for graduate school. My school of choice is the University of Denver where I’d study Environmental Science, and specialize in Environmental Health. If I can get in. This would knock out Goal #63) Attend college in another state.

What’s all of this mean for my goals over the next year? A lot. If I’m not living in Africa in a few months, 2012 will be the year of climbing. If I am living in Africa, 2012 will be the year of climbing. Next year I’d like to climb Mount Whitney, Devil’s Tower, Kilimanjaro, and Ancient Art. I’d like to spend some time in Yosemite this summer…climbing.

I thought I’d get to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon last July, but it didn’t work out. This year I’ll get my permit application submitted earlier than two weeks in advance. I’d also like to visit the last few states of America, and finally visit all 50. Alaska will be the most difficult, but who knows…it could happen. Anything is possible.

Are you looking forward to what the future has in store for you?

Filed under 50 States, Career, Education, Employment, Environment, Goals, Graduate School, Graduation, Life, Peace Corps, Preparation, Travel, Updates, Yosemite Tagged with ,

Goal #141) Visit Monument Valley

July 7, 2011 2 Comments

A couple of years ago, I spent some time traveling around Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. While on that trip, we visited a lot of amazing places but we never drove through Monument Valley. At the time I wasn’t convinced it was worth the drive. We’d spent the last few days driving around the desert…how much different would it really be?

“Screw it.” There was too much to see and do. It’d just have to wait for another time.

After two years, that “another time” was now. On Wednesday, Erin and I packed up the Impala for a road trip to Monument Valley. On our way, we picked up some friends in Denver and visited Arches National Park (and met a lizard we named Archie.) After hiking to Delicate Arch, we were back on the road until the sun began to dip below the horizon (about five hours later.) At the same time the landscape began to take on a familiar look.

Monument Valley.

Night came quickly and it was dark by the time we’d pitched our tents. We spent the next couple of hours watching satellites and shooting stars streak across the desert sky. The next morning we woke up early to take one last look at Monument Valley before beginning the drive back to Denver.

Success!

Check out the photos from my trip to Monument Valley!

Filed under Goals, Monument Valley

Goal #41) Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

June 26, 2011 6 Comments

Riding in a hot air balloon seems to be on everyone’s list of goals…

But what makes this such a popular goal? Is it the bright colors? The huge bursts of fire? The tranquility of hovering in the sky without the loud buzz of an engine? Or maybe it’s the novelty of it all; standing in a wicker basket, being lifted into the sky with ”primitive” technology.  It doesn’t take a counseling degree to understand the inner tranquility and deep relationship we have while flying out into the great blue yonder. There’s a positive feeling that can only be expressed by flying “free” above the heights of the world we walk in below.

Hell, maybe it’s the champagne!

A few weeks ago I finally had my chance to go on my first hot air balloon ride.

The day started out early, before the sun had risen, and by the time we began to float into the sky it was barely daybreak. As we rose above the tops of the trees, the world below grew smaller and smaller. The river to the east reflected the pinks and purples of the rising sun, and somewhere in the trees beneath us a turkey gobbled.

The occasional burst of flame interrupted the quiet, and the laughter of our fellow passengers filled the air. As the wind pushed us along, the deer in the fields below seemed unsure how to react to the giant balloon hovering in the sky above, but the next burst of flame startled them, and they bounced away, their white tails waving as they went.

As we continued our journey, our pilot let the balloon drop in altitude until the basket was scraping the tops of the trees. Moments later we were in a valley with a pond below. A turtle swam next to the blues, yellows, and greens of the balloon reflected on the surface of the water. Another burst of flames and we were quickly rising out of the valley, back into the sky. In the distance we could see Saint Paul, and just to the left was Minneapolis.

We flew over farm fields, horse farms, and suburbs where people were walking their dogs. As we flew over, we waved at the people on the streets and yelled “Good morning!” They waved back, and went about their business. About this time, our pilot began talking about making a landing. The balloon began to descend, and it soon became clear that we’d be landing in a construction zone. As we approached, our pilot apologized ahead of time for the rough landing, and told us to hold on tight. We skidded along the ground, and bounced a couple of times before finally coming to a stop.

It was a rough landing!

Our pilot popped the cork on the champagne, and began explaining the tradition and history behind the champagne. The tradition dates back to the first balloon flight in France. Early balloons were attacked by the landowners with stones, clubs, and pitchforks as they landed, since the landowners believed the balloons to be “fire-breathing monsters.” These early French aeronauts found that they could distract the landowners by offering them a glass of champagne.

And there we stood, sipping champagne (I opted for water)  at 7 a.m., laughing and having a good time. Goal #41 officially accomplished! Check out the photos and video from my hot air balloon ride!

Filed under Accomplishments, Hot Air Balloon

Throwing in the Towel

June 16, 2011 5 Comments

The marathon I’ve been training for is on Saturday. I won’t be running.

About a week ago, I felt a lump in my throat that I was hoping to ignore, but it quickly turned into something more severe. I could hardly swallow without my entire body wincing in pain. I was physically exhausted and spent the entire weekend sleeping on the couch, waking up to take a couple aspirin when I couldn’t handle the pain. But that wasn’t the extent of my illness…I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. It was literally dripping off of me, and I had to go to the bathroom to dry off with a towel.

After a few days, the pain in my neck (glands) changed into a soreness in my throat, and I began a dry, hacking cough. I was still exhausted, I felt like I could sleep forever. By now I hadn’t trained in about a week. I’d tried to run a couple of days before getting sick, but only made it about two and a half miles before I’d had enough. I should’ve known then that something was wrong…

Just a few days earlier I’d ran almost half a marathon in under two and a half hours, but now that I was sick and unable to train, it was going to take a miracle if I was going to recover and resume my training in time. That miracle didn’t happen, and I’m still fighting off this sickness today. The sore throat is gone, but the hacking cough remains. I haven’t trained now in about two weeks, and it’s impractical to think I could walk into a marathon without training, especially after fighting off an illness.

I still intend to run a marathon this summer, whether in another official marathon or an equivalent distance on some country roads, but if I run the 26.2 miles on my own time, it won’t count as accomplishing my goal…I will only consider an official marathon a success.

Needless to say, I’m disappointed that I won’t be competing, but my health is more important and there will be other marathons to run in the future. As a matter of fact, I’ve got my eye on two in particular, The Great Wall Marathon and the Antarctic Ice Marathon. It’ll probably be a while before I’m conditioned enough for either of these, but they’re definitely something I’ll be looking at more seriously in the future.

Filed under Goals, Marathon

Update: Goal #107) Join the Peace Corps

June 12, 2011 3 Comments

You might remember that I had an interview with a Peace Corps recruiter about two months ago. You may also recall that I thought I’d really blown the interview. Even as I was answering the questions, I knew I was making mistakes. And of course, all the “right” answers came flooding into my mind as soon as I’d stepped outside and began reflecting on the questions I’d been asked. Argh!

About a week ago, the email I’d been waiting for (and sort of dreading) since the interview finally arrived. Here’s what my recruiter had to say:

Dear Mr. Severson,

I am pleased to nominate you for the following Peace Corps assignment: Environmental Education/ Awareness scheduled to depart for Africa in April 2012.

This doesn’t mean I’ve been accepted into the Peace Corps, but it is a step in the right direction. So what’s next?

From the Peace Corps:

A nomination is a recommendation that an applicant move to the next stage of consideration; the medical, legal, suitability, and competitive reviews. You should expect to receive further requests for information during these reviews. It is important to respond to any requests quickly and completely. We cannot move forward with the review process unless all requested information is in your file.

As a result of your nomination, the Office of Medical Services (OMS) will review your Health Status Review and mail you a Medical Forms package that outlines the requirements for physical, dental, and eye exams. Please schedule your exams as soon as you receive this package and promptly submit all requested information. If you have questions, a Customer Service Representative in OMS will assist you.

If you are medically qualified and legally cleared, your application will be evaluated by a Peace Corps Placement Officer for suitability and competitiveness. You may be contacted at this point for additional information including an update on the status or completion of any previously requested volunteer experience or language coursework. Please note you are responsible for informing the Placement Legal Office if there are any changes to your legal status.

If you are selected for service, a Placement Officer will work to match you with an opening, taking into account your skills, availability, necessary medical accommodations, and the needs of our host countries. If this match is made, you will receive a written invitation to serve in a specific country as well as a job description. Please keep in mind that the program to which you were initially nominated may not be the program to which you are ultimately invited.

Congratulations on moving to the next stage of consideration for Peace Corps service.

This might be the single most life-changing goal on my list. If I’m accepted into the Peace Corps, I know it will be a huge turning point in my life. I’m excited, and a little nervous…in a good way!

Filed under Goals, Peace Corps, Updates

Goal #124) Ride a Unicycle

June 4, 2011 10 Comments

I’m not really sure why, but I didn’t expect riding a unicycle to be challenging.

In early May, I decided to get serious about this goal so I bought a unicycle, and I found out pretty quickly that riding it was a lot more difficult than I’d originally thought it was going to be. But after a couple of days of practice, I began to get the hang of it, and before long I was riding short distances.

It took about a week for me to ride more than a few feet, and after that I was able to ride from one end of the parking lot to the other. I was getting pretty good! Then I went on vacation in Mexico. I’d thought about bringing my unicycle along with me so I could practice, but decided to leave it home. I like to travel light, so dragging along a unicycle would probably just end up being a pain in the ass. After a week of hanging out on the beach, all the progress I’d made earlier with my unicycle was all but lost.

I was back to square one.

But I kept trying, and quickly picked up where I’d left off. In all honesty, I haven’t been riding nearly as often as I should to get really good at it, but I’m able to ride…and that’s what my goal was; to ride a unicycle. So, I’m scratching it off the list. I’ll continue to practice, and maybe learn how to do some cool tricks!

Be sure to check out the video of me riding my unicycle!!!

Filed under Goals, Unicycle

From the Cockpit

June 3, 2011 5 Comments

“In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. For example, the presence or absence of a butterfly flapping its wings could lead to creation or absence of a hurricane.” – Wikipedia

When it comes to accomplishing goals, it’s often the small actions that create the momentum to succeed.

More than a decade ago, I spent a summer flying around the sky in a Cessna airplane. I’d had hopes that when I was old enough, I’d learn how to fly and get my pilot license. But by the time I was old enough, I was more interested in hanging out with my friends than flying airplanes. My childhood dream was now just that…a dream.

A dream, until a small action, a flap of a butterfly wing, spawned enough energy to create a hurricane…

Just ten days after sending an email, I was sitting in the pilot seat of Tango Whiskey, a Cessna 172, flying 3,000 feet above the suburbs of Minneapolis for an introductory flight lesson.

When I signed up for the flight, I wasn’t sure how interactive it would be. Turns out, the experience was beyond what I’d expected. When I arrived at the airport, I was greeted by my instructor, Sarah. After introducing ourselves and filling out some paperwork, we went out to inspect the airplane. A few minutes later, we began our taxi.

Sarah let me take the controls and guide the airplane towards the end of the runway. As we turned onto the runway and began to speed up, Sarah talked me through the takeoff. I pulled back on the yoke and we were flying! We spent the next fifteen minutes flying over Eden Prairie (aka, The Best Place to Live in America). During the flight I was in control of where we went, and how we got there. The entire time Sarah was explaining things about the airplane, and how to fly. She told me to press the pedals so I could get a feel of how the rudder affects the plane. I pushed them gently and nothing happened. Sarah laughed and said I needed to be more aggressive!

Then she showed me how the rudder affects the plane!

The little Cessna wobbled back and forth in the sky, and it didn’t take long for Erin to ask for a sick bag! I looked at her slumped in the backseat looking pale. She wasn’t smiling and taking pictures anymore. Luckily for her, Sarah said we needed to get back to the airport because we only had half an hour for an introductory flight. I banked to the left and headed back. As the airport came into view, Sarah said she was going to take control of the plane again, but I could hold the controls to see how it felt to land.

The wind was strong, and as we approached the landing strip, it felt like we were flying sideways. A minute later we were on the ground. Erin managed to make it without needing the sick bag, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince her to go up again! Yes, this is only the beginning!

Check out the pictures from my introductory flight lesson!

Filed under Flight Lessons, Goals

Update: Goal #32) Run in a Marathon

May 27, 2011 5 Comments

In three weeks I’ll be running in my first, and maybe my last, marathon.

This is another of those goals, like skydiving, that tends to show up on many lists of  goals. It’s a huge challenge, and an accomplishment for those who finish. Only 1% of people in the United States will ever run in a marathon, so those who participate become part of an elite group. The percentage of people who actually finish is even less.

Being that this is my first marathon, I’m not really sure what to expect, and I don’t think the magnitude of this goal has sunk in just yet. But after yesterday I’m starting to understand it’s not going to be as simple as lacing up my shoes and going for a run. I’ve been running on a treadmill for a while, but yesterday was the first time I’ve ran outside in a long while. And today, my legs hurt…bad.

The worst part is that I only ran 7.9 miles. I’ve got a lot of work to do…

I’ve got three weeks to prepare. That should be enough time to get my ass into shape…it has to be! Because whether I’m ready or not, in three weeks, I’m running in a marathon. And even if I have to crawl across the finish line, I will finish!

Have you ever ran a marathon? Do you have any advice?

Filed under Goals, Marathon

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