My love of the great outdoors started at a very young age, and certainly growing up in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia had a lot to do with this. My childhood home was on a farm in the very rural rolling hills of North Central WV, where we couldn't see our nearest neighbors, and me and my 3 brothers had plenty of room to grow up and just be boys. While I enjoyed playing the usual sports that most kids play in school when growing up in America, such as football, basketball, and baseball, I was never In Love with these structured, team based activities, and watching sports on TV was never my thing. My thoughts were always on the adventure of exploring new places, of skiing, horseback riding, biking, hunting, and fishing. Much of this spirit of adventure can be contributed to my dad. I will never forget the first time he took me hunting at a very young age, and all of the other outdoor adventures that he always found the time to take us boys on over the years. My mom and dad both love to camp and travel, so we had some very memorable family vacations over the years.
I lost this passion for awhile after getting out of the Army; life took over and going to school and working part time jobs seemed to take all of my time. But then my wife and I discovered backpacking, and the excitement of exploring the Monongahela National Forest with nothing but a topo map, compass, and everything you need to survive for several days on your back. This also made us realize how out of shape we had become, so we became much more health conscious, watching what we eat, strength training, and cardio workouts so that we could get out there and do the things that we love. We even purchased kayaks and floated some of the numerous mountain streams in the area.
Since moving to
Schliersee, Germany, this passion has become even greater. Schliersee is located in the Bavarian Alps, about 50km south of Munich, very close to the Austrian border. We are literally surrounded by mountains, and we have a beautiful lake out our front door to enjoy. Depending on the season, we can be hiking, mountain biking, skiing, or swimming in a matter of minutes. Now I constantly dream of doing these things. When at work, I am thinking about them, planning what I will do next. It is always in the back of my mind.
One of my birthday gifts from my wife for my 40th was a voucher for paragliding, which I have talked about trying for awhile now. Soon, I will be jumping off the
Wallberg Mountain (tandem with a guide, of course). I can't wait! Wish me luck :)
Link to a picture of someone paragliding off of Wallberg with Lake Tergernsee in the background.
