The Vault Dweller
always looking for water.
This thread is a counter to the "Thread of Regret" posted not long ago and quite heavily replied to. It's to create positive feelings for the future.
As for me:
Growing up I learned to love the mountains. I loved nature both the simple joy of wandering through a wilderness area as well as the more cerebral act of trying to identify plants and animals I'd find. Now growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles all the open land was taken as prime real estate. This meant the only unused areas were the mountains and steeper hills that weren't of any use. Some inside the mass urban conglomeration were the size of small parks and some on the outer edges were actual national parks. The biggest was the entire northern end of the combined cities the San Gabriel Mountains. I lived just south of the western end of that range.
Every day all day I could see just by looking north a wide array of different peaks one of the three largest actually the closest north of my town. That was Mount Wilson.
On any day of any weekend I could have taken half the day to walk to, hike up, and spend a few hours enjoying the view, but I never did. I would always go to small parks at the hills before the mountains seeing as it would only take a few hours of my time since I often did chores/study on the weekends.
In all my time there (17 years) I went on yearly or bi-yearly camping trips with my Dad. We would spend a week traveling and spending each night at a different place. We could go far in a week and as such visit countless places through California in all directions.
Yet in all my visits and vast vacations I never bothered to climb so many mountains so close to home. They were too accessible. I always thought if I had the time I should visit somewhere far away where I might never go or if I had little time it wasn't enough.
Then I abruptly had to move away.
I now live and have lived on the opposite side of this huge country knowing that someday I'll return to walk that range. At the very least climb Mount Wilson the most vivid symbol of my love for the outdoors.
Although I have a low-income job I am adept at buying cheap and doing without small things to the point where I have one or two thousand dollars a year to enjoy which is more than enough to take a week off of work fly to California and hike the entire area.
I just keep telling myself "Well if it's not much trouble why bother? You can always do it later.", but that statement is why I never did it in the first place.
I know I will just someday.
Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
As for me:
Growing up I learned to love the mountains. I loved nature both the simple joy of wandering through a wilderness area as well as the more cerebral act of trying to identify plants and animals I'd find. Now growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles all the open land was taken as prime real estate. This meant the only unused areas were the mountains and steeper hills that weren't of any use. Some inside the mass urban conglomeration were the size of small parks and some on the outer edges were actual national parks. The biggest was the entire northern end of the combined cities the San Gabriel Mountains. I lived just south of the western end of that range.
Every day all day I could see just by looking north a wide array of different peaks one of the three largest actually the closest north of my town. That was Mount Wilson.
On any day of any weekend I could have taken half the day to walk to, hike up, and spend a few hours enjoying the view, but I never did. I would always go to small parks at the hills before the mountains seeing as it would only take a few hours of my time since I often did chores/study on the weekends.
In all my time there (17 years) I went on yearly or bi-yearly camping trips with my Dad. We would spend a week traveling and spending each night at a different place. We could go far in a week and as such visit countless places through California in all directions.
Yet in all my visits and vast vacations I never bothered to climb so many mountains so close to home. They were too accessible. I always thought if I had the time I should visit somewhere far away where I might never go or if I had little time it wasn't enough.
Then I abruptly had to move away.
I now live and have lived on the opposite side of this huge country knowing that someday I'll return to walk that range. At the very least climb Mount Wilson the most vivid symbol of my love for the outdoors.
Although I have a low-income job I am adept at buying cheap and doing without small things to the point where I have one or two thousand dollars a year to enjoy which is more than enough to take a week off of work fly to California and hike the entire area.
I just keep telling myself "Well if it's not much trouble why bother? You can always do it later.", but that statement is why I never did it in the first place.
I know I will just someday.
Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
