Canyoning in the Blue Mountains over Easter break was amazing. First thought: I never thought that I would have reason to rappel down a waterfall... but I did and it was amazing. Second thought:the landscape was amazing and the pictures taken do not do it justice. Third thought: the water was freakin cold (and I was wearing a wetsuit with a set of thermals underneath). Time to expand on thoughts one, two, and three.
For a quick explanation of canyoning just use Wikipedia, but if you are too lazy. My definition:you bushwalk for a few hours to get to a remote location, put on your gear (wetsuit, helmet, harness), then jump into a cold river in the base of a canyon, next walk/run/jump/swim/climb/rappel in order to navigate down the river, eventually find a point to exit the water, then start the long hike back out of the canyon and to your car. On a few occasions it was necessary to rappel down a waterfall and let me tell you that freezing cold water pounding down on your face and entire body generally never fails to make sure that you are awake.
As mentioned earlier, the pictures do not do the landscape justice. During the experience it is also difficult to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. In the canyon you can be focused on safely navigating a white water section, double checking safety precautions, or preoccupied with how cold you are and daydreaming about how good the warmth of a camp fire will feel later that night.
Hypothermia is a real concern in canyoning, and we prepared accordingly. We knew that the water would be cold so we each had a wetsuit and thermals. We ate heaps of food and drank heaps of water in the canyons. But when you have a large group it takes time to rig up the ropes for rappelling and get everyone to safely clear the section. While one person is on the rope, the rest of the group is effectively staying in one place waiting (either at the top or bottom). You feel the cold the most when you are waiting. You try to do movement exercises and maintain blood flow, but it is not an equal substitute for being fully on the move and generating continuous core heat. That being said, everyone got cold at different point of the trip but no one came down with hypothermia.
Easter. I celebrated the Easter Vigil mass in the small country town of Blackheath. I rocked up in my rainpaints, fleece, and teva sandals (the only clothes that were dry at the time). It was strange to not know a single person in the church, but I found comfort in the familiarity of the liturgy. I think the universal aspect of Catholicism is freakin sweet. The structure of the liturgy has been consistent no matter where I travel: San Antonio, Nicaragua (in Spanish), Ghana (in Fante or Sissala), St. Louis (in English...), and a small town in Australia. So yeah, a unique Easter experience.
Life Updates:
So I am now a marketing intern at Crossfit Victoria. In return for my work, I will be able to train at no cost. This will probably be one of the few times in my life where my boss/es are in better shape than I am. I think I like picking unusual internships (last summer in Ghana and this summer in OZ).
I have an idea of what I want to do after graduation... So most readers of this blog will know that I questioned the point of my business education and thought a few times about dropping out of school and immediately doing work that would help people. Sometimes it feels like time spent in college/classrom is a waste and you are not doing anything/enough things of substance. While this can be true, college is a time to develop and mature. In the paraphrased words of Fr. Michael Himes (author of Doing the Truth in Love ), college functions as a time for spiritual and personal development so one can better serve others throughout his/her life. I decided to stay in school and complete my business degree because I saw it as the best preparation for service. I want to use my knowledge of business to help empower those in need.
I want to work in community assisted development/international development in Latin/Central America. Why? Everyone should have food, clean water, shelter, access to decent educaiton, and access to health care. It is important not to a "savior, know it all mentality" when working with disadvantaged people. Most know what they need and most are pretty darn smart. I want to become fluent in Spainish. That may sound selfish (and it is), but it is a life skill that I want.
Rest of life: Need to start working on my final papers for uni. Crossfit is good. Frisbee will pick-up soon. Starting to get into climbing again.
A side note, my top three books in life: Bible, Doing the Truth in Love, Hope in Troubled Times. These books make sense to me. They bring together God and the important stuff in life. So I would highly recommend these, and it will give you a better understanding of my thought process in life.
So yeah, that is my life in nut shell (or blogpost). Let me know how you are doing with things.
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