climb vs. photograph

So I started this blog out because I thought I wanted to write about climbing and pursue that side of my life more. Through the course of this experience, which has been a couple months, I have realized that it is turning more into a photography and personal blog. So if you have been reading/following this blog and are disappointed with the content, I apologize.

It is funny how your passions change. I still love climbing but I realize that I am never going to be a v10-or-so climber. I enjoy being around climbers and being involved in the sport. But I don't have the drive to be one of the strongest in the sport. I would like to get stronger, there is no doubt about that. But sometimes I just don't feel like climbing and I'm not going to push myself to do something that I am only kind of excited about. I don't want to turn into something that I feel like I have to do. I have the utmost respect for professional climbers and friends who are incredibly strong, because they have the drive and the passion to push themselves further and have become very mentally and physically strong. I am just realizing more and more that I enjoy taking pictures, maybe even more than climbing.

Both of those subjects are very artistic. I think you have to be somewhat artistic to climb because you have to connect each move smoothly and teach your body to move with the problem. Photography is artistic because you are showing someone else what you feel. If you don't make your moment connect to someone else's, what is the point of taking a photo? And being able to let someone feel something through an image is definitely art. Actually, it's incredibly cool.

So for the past couple times I have been out climbing, I realize I spend more time taking photos than actually climbing. I have an awesome time each time, because climbers are just generally all around stellar people. But I think I might be better at capturing moments than climbing.

It is a scary feeling, to feel my passions switch positions, because I always thought that I was going to follow in my Uncle's footsteps and climb really well. But I'm not my Uncle. I'm never going to be the exact person he was and I shouldn't try to be. But I do feel like we are similar in some ways.

So it has become a balance between leisure time for me. Do I go climb? or do I take photos? Anyways, as a quick update, I drove down to Boulder for some grant meetings. Both of which ended up being cancelled...sweet. So I guess I drove down to Boulder to hang out with some cool people, climb and for Veda to have a play date with Angie P.'s puppy, Jake (gracias Angie!) I made a quick visit to Movement for the first time, and I was really impressed. It is the first gym I've been in that does the v-rating system and I felt like was consistent with outdoor ratings. It is an incredible place, very clean and open. And intimidating. But definitely the top of my list of incredible climbing gyms I have been in. But it is snowing hard and I'm concerned that it will get worse so I'm going to head BACK up to Laramie. Soo tired of driving. (within the past week I will have driven 10 hours. yayy...)

Hopefully the snow in Laramie will melt sooner than later so I can either climb or photograph. I'm not sure which one I want to do more.