A year later...

Here we are. A year later... I'm still walking the earth.

I'm about to embark on another adventure of grandiose proportions. This one with a bit more of a substantive purpose. Well, that's debatable.

A lot has happened during the last 12mos. Here are some of the highlights, many of them firsts.

• Latin America. That was stunning. First solo traveling experience and first time there. I'm not done with that portion of the world by any means.
• Poor planning trapped me in Peoria. I learned a helluva lot during those 3 months there. Reaffirmation of faith and practicing patience were among the many. First time really being broke with bills.
• Many motorcycle adventures
  • First time crossing state lines.
  • First time riding more than 300mi in a day.
    
  • First time riding in snow, slush, and ice; first time my visor froze over while riding–had to ride with it open; first time I turned around because it was so cold
    
  • First time laying my bike down on a road
  • First time crossing the US border
• Turned 30
• "Laid-off unexpectedly." I equate it to my first time being fired. Very humbling.
  
• Oregon's Willamette Valley Vintage 2008. Wine Harvest. Lots and lots and lots of firsts.
  
• First time dealing with some pretty intense emotions
  
• Saw salmon spawning. A first too. If you ever have the chance to see this, I highly recommend it. It puts a lot of things in perspective.
  
• First time making sweet potato pie
  
• First time I really figured out what I'm passionate about and wanna be doing with myself. Go figure, I'd been doing it all this year. It was so simple I'd been overlooking it completely.
  
• VA Hospital
  
• Envisioning a life plan longer than 12mos. That's scary shit for me.
  
• First time I've felt hopeful about this country in a loooonggg time
  
• Grand Canyon during winter. There were remnants of snow. I can only imagine what it would look like covered in snow. Must be breathtaking.
  
  

And now I'm about to leave the country again. It's pretty strange to me how it's almost exactly a year since the last time I left. Even stranger is the proximity of my departures to SuperBowls associated with Phoenix (last year the SuperBowl was in Glendale; this year the Cardinals were in the SuperBowl).

This time I'm going to New Zealand. I'm following this wine/winemaking path that I've put myself on and seeing where it'll take me. Hmmm...that could be construed as if I'm not a willing participant on this path. I am. Very much so. I'm not entirely certain that I'll wanna do it forever but I can see how it could be possible. It's been fun thus far. Continuing down this path is the only way I can think of to tell.

I leave on Monday for Christchurch on the South Island. About 15h total on a plane. It's so far away, I'll arrive on Wednesday morning. Heading to the Central Otago Wine Region to work in some vineyards and hopefully a winery. I'll be writing here so you all can follow along at home. Look for more slideshows or an actual flickr page this time.

Peace fam

Big Sur. September. On the way to Oregon

Willamette Valley. September

Maysara Vintage 2008. Moving Barrels

Willamette Valley, Oregon. December

Portland and Mt. Hood. December

Winter 2008 snowstorm.

Plastic Fork Garden. McMinnville, OR. January

Glamis Dunes. January. Medici Pinot noir at sunset on top of the trailer

Grand Canyon near Mohave Point. February.