A New Beginning

October 24, 2010 I embarked upon a journey. I went from Houston, TX to southeast Utah to take a job at a wilderness treatment program. I guess to give my move a little more justice, here's what I moved to after living in Houston for 19 years.

That's Houston. City-licious. I was born and raised by these towers and I've known them to be home for years.

And this is Moab, Utah: home to the hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It's also where I live now.

Now I'd just like to start out by saying that when I left Houston, I hadn't done much "outdoor-enthusiast" type activities. But I did go on a backpacking trip in Oregon after I graduated high school and it changed my life for the better. Around August or September, a friend asked if I would ever thought about working for this outdoor, wilderness treatment program for people who struggle with alcohol and drug addiction.

I gave it some thought, but soon put it on the back burner. I was working two jobs in Houston - Quizno's and Spencer's. I wasn't really going anywhere with my life or doing. In October, I got an e-mail from the job asking if I was still interested. I took that as a sign of divine intervention and I told them I'd put in my two weeks here in Houston. 

Nine days after that e-mail, I was spending my last night in Houston eating at Niko Niko's with my brother and dad. I said my goodbyes to a few close friends and I was off to the Greyhound station.

From 12:30am Monday morning to 8am Tuesday morning, I was a prisoner of the Greyhound. But I made it and arrived safe and sound in Cortez, Colorado where I then caught a right from a transportation service to the office where my new job was in Southeast Utah. 

In the next 2 hours, I filled out paperwork and was on my way to the desert! I spent the next 3 weeks in the desert hiking, backpacking, camping, eating weird food (heart of sheep, anyone?), learning about land features, learning how to make fire with sticks and string, how to make string out of plants, etc. etc. But I also realized how much beauty there is when you're not surrounded my skyscrapers and towers in the city. I saw the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. I've seen how I've been living as a flat-lander my whole life and got to explore some canyons. It was incredible.

Of course, when you don't shower for 3 weeks you get to be a little dirty and stinky.                    
                            

End of my 2nd week

End of my 1st week