Hustle and Bustle

Two weeks ago, my husband and I moved out of our apartment of eight years, moved all our valuables into one of my mom’s spare rooms, re-homed our beloved bunny, quit our jobs, and began our travels to South Africa, home of one of the best bouldering areas in the world. In the weeks and months leading up to our departure, we were regularly asked, “Are you excited?” Of course, we are fulfilling one of our lifelong dreams, yet so much was involved in this decision and turning this fantasy into reality that nervousness, an enormous amount of stress, and doubt came to our minds before pure ‘excitement.’          During the months leading up to our departure, I was working in overdrive, finishing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice project, completing my clinical hours, working full-time as a critical care nurse, and beginning to study for boards. After graduation, I only had a month left to finish moving, packing, trip planning, and sitting for boards. It was likely the most stressful month of my life (rough life, I know). Still, I passed my nurse practitioner certification exam, and we finished packing and moving at 02:30 AM on June 5th, three hours before catching a ride to the airport for our international flight. To top it off, we traveled for about 40 hours. Our itinerary was from SLC to Cape Town, with stops and layovers in JFK, Geneva, and Doha. It was a huge relief when all our gear made it to South Africa.         Over the last few years, we have gone on several 2.5 - 3.5 week-long climbing trips during my school breaks, notably to Las Vegas, Joes Valley, and Hueco Tanks. Last year, we visited Rocklands on a 3.5-week trip between the summer and fall semesters. To have the extra week off, I negotiated with my school to finish clinical hours by June and submit my work early. We immediately fell in love with the area - the climbing style, rock type and texture, food, lifestyle, landscape, and community. When planning our sabbatical, it was clear we would likely be happy spending the whole summer (their winter) in Rocklands.  Now, as the gravity of this trip is setting in, it is hard to feel anything but excitement, gratitude, and relaxation. I have always loved outdoor climbing, but too often, my days outside are overshadowed by an endless “to-do” list. With the extra time and lack of obligations, I am more excited to climb and eager to try climbings I otherwise would not touch with a time restriction of three weeks. I am even more keen to rest, read, write, stay connected with friends and family, and even try something new, like blogging. 

Pictured: The Pollyanna apartment (and our home hangboard), rooftop views from the Pollyanna apartment building, Misty bunny, phases of moving, the state of packing hours before our flight, and our departure at the airport.