Welcome back or welcome if this is your first time to the blog, you haven't missed much. I got some awesome feed back from my first post and it was great to hear what you guys thought so thanks for reading, it means a lot! Lets get into the nitty gritty of what my life influences are and why I want to document my journey.
As I said before I grew up in Oklahoma, which is a pretty conservative place. A republican state where there has always been a certain way of living and its worked for people so why change it attitude. I've always had a hard time connecting with people here. As I grew older I found myself with fewer and fewer friends. my own doing for the most part. I could care less about jersey shore, who had the big party on the weekend or who broke up with who in school. My mind was on the next adventure. Always dreaming of things I could be doing in the mountains. JR year of high school I got into cycling, I think as an escape from the BS of high school. After school I'd train for hours, The weekends would be filled with 4 hours of riding each day, if I wasn't traveling around the south racing. I loved it and got pegged as the cyclist in school. one of 3 my age in the state of Oklahoma. Senior year came around and that means time to apply to colleges. Colorado was always the promise land to me and there was a school there with the number 1 ranked cycling team in the nation so it was a no brainer to everyone where i was heading. Fort lewis college was the only school I applied to and I got in. the day I received my acceptance letter I believe is the day my dreams became possible.
I went and visited the school a couple times with my parents, we all seems to love it. My parents I think could tell I would be happy here, although to them there were a ton of hippies... Most of my friends were jealous I was leaving for Colorado and to me I didn't get it. if they're unhappy with oklahoma and they wanted to be somewhere else, then why aren't they somewhere else. people become attached to money and think its impossible I guess? Anyways.. I had a choice to make before I left, what I wanted to study. My first choice was Adventure Education, a degree that focuses on skills required to teach things like top rope rock climbing, wilderness expeditions, mountaineering, kayaking and other activities along those lines. As you could imagine my parents weren't having it. I decided to study Exercise Science instead to please everyone in the family.
With my degree I want to open up an adventure camp for kids with physical and metal disabilities (focusing on the physical disabilities). To me this seems like my calling in life. I love helping others, I love the outdoors and I love kids attitudes towards life. Throughout my first semester in college I realize that exercise science is the wrong degree for me and I need to switch to Adventure Education, to me the kids safety will be the most important thing. Breaking the news to my parents was pretty rough. They were disappointed with my switch in degrees. So much so that I will be paying for my own college next year. To many that seems harsh. To me its perfectly understandable, I'm my own man now making my own way in life. My parents obligation to support me is over as for as finances go and I'm ok with that. I know that they still Love me and I love them too, no hard feelings.
Paying for myself to go through college and wanting to travel the world to help others will be extremely hard and will cause for a lot of patience, creativity, and hard work. Thats partly why I made this blog, to show others what you are possible of. Don't be afraid to be thrown out in the world. Its a scary place but if you surround yourself by the right people and treat everyone with kindness and respect it can be a very carrying and supportive world. I LOVE the life I am currently living and wouldn't change it for anything.
My decisions I've made in college have been with two things in mind,
1. My goal to open up my own camp for children with disabilities.
2. My own personal happiness.
My decisions have forced me to take a road less traveled by people and a harder life is ahead. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way though. Im already learning a lot about myself and seeing compassion from others. This is just the beginning of my journey, my life, and I'm excited to share it with you.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Much more to come soon. hopefully knocking out 2-3 posts a week. Thanks again
-Matt
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