Heading over to Medium

Hey friends. I am now writing over at https://garageboxnick.medium.com/ so please come on by and give a follow, clap or just stay in touch! Easy to subscribe, too. Exciting times ahead!

GO!

Dreaming Big

I’m nearly 48. Our girls are leaving home soon. The house will be paid for, in the big picture, quite soon and retirement from my government job is only a smidge over 2 years away. My Navy career that began in 1991 continues but will also sunset in the next 2-5 years (pending promotion results). Lots of change and a re-focusing on how I/we want to live and fill our days. 

So not too long ago, my bride started expressing some real interest in a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. For those unaware, that is a 2100+ mile hike from Georgia to Maine. It is done by many each year and spans 5-6 months ... non-stop. In fact, the early birds will hit the trail in Georgia as early as next week. We have a background in endurance sports such as distance running, ultra-running and rucking 50 miles at a time...but nothing like this. We have zero experience camping as well. So, our learning curve is steep as many of the mountains on the AT (Appalachian Trail), we have much to learn and experiment with as we continue to dabble with this new dream to “thru-hike the AT.” 

As you probably know, I love to write. So today while we are away on a “just us” overnight, I wanted to write but also do it from my phone only. If and when we set out, I want to blog the journey daily and it’ll be via my phone only. Blogger doesn’t have an app for iPhone like Wordpress does. I do like Wordpress but this blog has been around for so many years and parting with it just doesn’t sit well with me. I may look at exporting this blog into Wordpress but that’s a huge undertaking as there is a LOT on here spanning YEARS! 

So when will this happen? This crazy idea of a thru-hike? Right now, we’re tentatively talking about the 2024-2025 timeframe. Kids out of college, zero debt of any kind, a small government pension to keep the lights on and maybe the uniform hung up with a sense of permanency. For now, we are reading, watching many VLOGs on YouTube, visiting the local REI and talking to friends about potential short hiking/camping trips in the near-term.

This was us yesterday on our way to Amish Country on a 6 mile ruck. We already love to carry weight on our backs over long distances and we love doing it together. Perhaps this AT “dream” isn’t so crazy after all.

2020 in Review

Where do I even start for 2020? I think we all can agree that 2020 will be very much a "verb" in the future or slang or simply...2020. That's all we'll have to say to someone when reflecting back. From the pandemic to the election to racial issues and rioting, our country and world went through a lot. For me, throw in my longest deployment in my 23+ years in the Navy but flexing constantly to the pandemic and yea....2020. But really... how I do sum it all up and how am I approaching 2021?

THANKFUL. One theme you'll get from me here and in person is the overarching presence of one thing: God's absolute supremacy over everything. Nothing is a surprise to Him and when the world totally goes to crap, He is constant. With that, I am thankful for how He has sustained me this past year. I am thankful for protection over my family while I was gone since April. I am thankful that no immediate family members were taken by the pandemic, even a family that has a lot of healthcare workers in it. I am thankful for a sustained income through it all when so many people and businesses have suffered. While wearing a mask, social distancing and businesses having restrictions is frustrating in our first-world USA, there is SO much to be thankful for.

PEACE. Havoc, fear and stress ripped across our world in 2020. I know some would call my bluff on this one but it's legit. I have had an incredible peace throughout. While many times have been hard (19.5 days in isolation in Africa after testing positive for COVID-19, the actual separation for 240 days from my family, and stress brought on by issues pertaining to my job while deployed), I have leaned very hard into my relationship with Christ. I pray...a lot. But I rarely literally get on my knees and beg Christ for Him to intervene. I did in 2020 more than once and it was always in my rectangular CLU (containerized living unit) in Africa. I felt alone on an island 8000+ miles away from home and when it seriously got bad, I begged for help and since no mortal could do so, I leaned heavily into the One I knew would. And He did. Every time. Back in 2011, I hit an all-time lifetime low. I was planning my suicide, my marriage hit rock bottom and I couldn't even return back to work after deployment. That is when my relationship with God went from an arms-length relationship where I called on Him a la carte to having a genuine relationship with him 24/7. That relationship that is constantly growing really made 2020 bearable and I never got to that dark place I was in back in 2011.

HEALTH. As many of you know, CrossFit is a serious passion of mine. Back on 11/4/2014, I started that journey and in doing so, got in the best shape of my life. I know that my condition at the age of 47 certainly played a part in my being totally asymptomatic when I got COVID-19. It was also a year when many months were without any equipment at all. I had to get very creative and certainly lost strength but overall, maintained my health. As I enter 2021, I do have a few pounds/inches to shed. The last 2-3 months hurt on the physical front. I was doing great all year physically but I didn't "land the plane" as well as I would've liked to. Getting back to my routine/diet as I enter 2021 will be huge in retuning to the normalcy I experienced prior to deployment. Overall, I am still very healthy but I have some work to do and I'm all about it!

KNOWLEDGE: I did something in 2020 that after being a Christian for 42 years, I had never done. I read the Bible cover-to-cover. Since I blogged daily while deployed, I used that as an accountability "partner" to read every single day via a Chronological Plan to read it in 365 days. Instead of reading it page after page, the readings are organized as they took place. I really, really enjoyed it! I certainly have my favorite parts (the Gospels and everything Paul wrote) and less-liked areas but in the end, I finished it just a few days ago, about 122 days early. I never missed a day and obviously, read extra many days. I learned so much. It also sparked a desire to dig in more to some areas and in 2021, I hope to do that. So much of it is historical fact that marries up with my faith that is a foundation in my life. That makes it important to me and very interesting! As a person who refuses to beat anyone over the head with my faith but rather someone who LIVES it, this can only help me be a better version of myself. 

2021. As we know, just turning the calendar to a new year doesn't make anything go away that plagued our nation and world in 2020. We still have an election that hasn't really ended, COVID-19, and another police shooting/death just happened again two days ago. In the Navy, we have a phrase that goes "Semper Gumby!" If you remember Gumby from decades ago, he was a stretchable toy. "Semper" is a play on the Semper Fi of the Marine Corps. So when we say "Semper Gumby!" we are saying "Always flexible!" So as I walk into 2021, I will keep that mindset, ready to flex, stretch, adjust, etc. as needed to press forward, LIVE fully, provide for my family and find joy. I will continue to steer away from negativity in people and social media and find the good in others and in life. Stress will still be a major factor that always manifests itself physically within me but pursuing joy and good will help mitigate that. As for resolutions, I don't do them. I make adjustments/changes but not the "fad" of resolutions. But what do I have on deck for 2021? Here is a brief summary:

• CrossFit: back to 5 days a week in the garage via CrossFit Linchpin
• Civilian Job: back on January 11th with the goal of retiring in mid-2023 after 25 years of service
• GORUCK Tribe: a monthly challenge that will have a workout, daily rucking requirement, and book to read. I'll be doing this with my bride.
• Church: continuing as an Elder, a possible new volunteer role in the social media realm, and an unknown future regarding the marriage ministry we led prior to deployment. 
• June and November: Eagle Up rucking event in June and the 26.2 mile Star Course in Nashville in November. 
• Monthly Ruck-n-Brews: we are starting back on our monthly ruck-n-brew tomorrow (1/2/2021) with our 15th ruck-n-brew! This has been such a great way to meet new people over the past two years! We are excited to return to it!
• CrossFit Games Volunteering: I would like to return in late July to Madison, WI to volunteer at the sport's pinnacle event.
• Future Career: really kicking the tires on a few career paths as I turn 50 years old and leave government work in 2023. Back in 2018, I interviewed with Amazon and that still really intrigues me but real estate also has my attention. I love to sell and the flexibility this career provides and the chance to serve others really is attractive to me on the surface. 

I'm sure there's more but that's a good round-up for now. I wish you and your family a healthy and happy 2021. Thanks for following along!