Welcome to the USA...Home for a moment....then Vail, Colorado

When I arrived home, many people were so worried and excited to see me. I got picked up from the airport by family, then I directly went home to see Lucky and ease his stress of being without me for so long. Poor little guy.
As soon as we spent some quality time together Lucky and I took a nap together. I was so exhausted that I then slept for about 30 hours straight. Everyone was worried since traveling is exhausting since I had been so ill before. Even though I am better, I am not back to normal by any means.
It was very odd to be back in the US after being gone for almost a year, but really nice to be home. What did it feel like and how did I feel? Well…my bed….my wonderful wonderful bed….oh how I missed you! Clean sheets, and actual blankets (not like S.E. Asia where the bed only has 1 fitted sheet-good thing I took an airline blanket), and a ridiculous number of pillows just the way I like it! AHHH…no wonder I slept for 30 hours when I got home!
And let me just say…having a choice of clothing is INCREDIBLE! I felt like I just had the best shopping spree ever, but it was actually just going through my closet and dresser! CLOTHES! Living out of a back pack wearing clothes until they are un-wearable or un-presentable is over rated…damn it’s nice to look normal again!
Oh…and the shower….should I even get started on how nice it was to shower in water that I KNOW is clean?! As Americans we under-appreciate our opportunity to shower in clean water…and brush your teeth from the faucet instead of bottled water. To be able to not stress about if you accidently swallowed some water when you were rinsing your mouth is pure luxury! Damn it feels good to be an American.

The IFSC Worldcup for bouldering was the first week of June in Vail, Colorado and I would be flying there to meet Sangwon. He unfortunately couldn’t come with me to Idaho when I came home because he had a competition in Austria, and then flying from Europe directly to Denver.

Time to get moving! I had been home for just a couple days and I was about to leave again after being gone for about 7 months. I had barely enough time to meet with family and friends before leaving for Vail. I met with one of my really close friends Kristel for lunch and to tell her about my travels. I was able to see a few other people too and I am thankful for that time. I really missed all my good girlfriends....being gone so long, it was easy to forget how much I love my friends, but now being back....I really need them in my life and it's nice seeing them even if only for a moment before I head out.

Two other climbers from S. Korea were coming and competing also. I had met them while in Seoul since they are pretty good friends with Sangwon and climb together alot. When the 3 of them arrived, we took a shuttle bus to Vail. They were all really exhausted from all the traveling, the night before they had been in Germany, flew that morning from Austria to Denver, now going to sleep in Vail-talk about travel!

After the cometition ended in Vail, we headed back to Denver for a couple days before flying out...everyone returning home.
Let me just say that competition climbers are on such rigid diets that they always are thinking about food...just hardly ever eating what they really want. After arriving in Vail we decided to check out downtown. Sangwon told me that his friends needed to go buy something inside Walgreen's....so we went in and they all disappeared. I couldn't find them anywhere. Finally I went outside and there they all were...holding an empty box of Krispy Kream doughnuts! They already finished the box and each still holding a doughnut tightly in their fists. What a sight! they could barely speak as they were all gobbling the sugary goodness up so fast! Glad to see them cut loose after the comp!