The Perfect Day

In a world where we all follow the paths of people before us, it’s easy to lose track of our actual desires and goals. We have to practice many habits solely to benefit us in the future (e.g., school, work, diet/exercise), but if we really had it our way, how would we live our perfect day? If we were given 24 hours with our current abilities, unlimited funding, no obstacles, and no consequences (i.e., the planet resets to its previous state afterwards), what would we do?

Carrot

There are a few background notes that may make my decisions over the next 24 hours more understandable.  So, let me lay them out here.  Among my favorite things to enjoy are reading (especially philosophy and nature texts), being surrounded by nature, rock climbing, basketball, family, and friends.  Any combination of these things and I am usually feeling pretty good.  Also I function poorly without sleep, so, a good night sleep going into the day is a must for me!

Midnight – 5 AM – Sleeping!

5 AM – Alarm goes off and while I usually would fight it, I hop out of bed with excitement knowing that whatever this day has in store will be a treasure!

5 AM – 6 AM – With the car already loaded up, I have an hour to drink tea and read some book about philosophy, nature, and the future of humanity.

6 AM – The crew (a mix of loved ones who are stoked to send) is ready to go, and we head off on a short road trip to spend the day climbing.

6 AM – 9 AM – Who includes a 3 hour road trip in their dream day?  I do.  The anticipation and excitement of an event are what give it meaning.  Christmas and birthdays wouldn’t feel nearly as magical to little kids if they just happened randomly.  Three hours with the crew listening to music, telling stories, driving through forests, all in anticipation for what is to come is an understated highlight that I wouldn’t want to miss out on!

9 AM – We pull up to the crag.

9 AM – 4 PM – Once we hit the parking lot and load up our gear we make a 30 minute trek to the wall.  The temps are between 60 and 70 degrees all day.  We have the wall to ourselves surrounded by nothing but trees and rocks!  There are no signs of the outside world, no electrical wires off in the distance and not a single plane is noted flying through the clear sky above.  We have hammocks set up for resting and delicious crag snacks to munch on all day long.  The wall provides all-day shade and no one is feeling any signs of exhaustion or heat stroke. From the top of each route, the view is idyllic with picturesque 360 degree vistas and undisturbed nature all around us. Ideally we workout the beta of a group project and we celebrate the progress and sends for everyone there.  

4 PM – Pack up and head out.

4 PM – 5 PM – As we pack up and head out, the entire group is filled with a sense of satisfaction and joy from working hard and having fun.  We quickly try and solidify some of the more intricate moves and experiences into our collective memories through jokes and anecdotes, basking in our shared experience.  Of course a visit to the crag wouldn’t be complete without some snackies, so, on the way to our next stop we need to stop for some local small town ice cream!

5 PM – Pull up to our secluded rental house on a lake and we’re greeted by more family/friends who weren’t really interested in spending a day at the crag.

5 PM – 6 PM – We all settle in, figure out sleeping arrangements, and work to make a massive pizza assembly line.  It wouldn’t be a perfect day without pizza!  We have everyone’s favorite toppings including fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, ricotta, artichokes, peppers, and buffalo mozzarella.  We have sauces galore, from marinara to pesto.  We all gather in the kitchen to make, bake, and most importantly eat delicious pizza to our heart’s content.

7 PM – 8 PM – Time to clean up and relax!  After cleaning up the kitchen, the climbers have the option to take nice hot showers or baths.  Everyone at the house can just chill in their own way for as long as they want.

8 PM – 11 PM – With our bodies clean and our bellies full, we have lots of options.  The Detroit Pistons game is on in the background.  Some people are playing euchre around a table, some are sharing memories and catching up over some drinks around the kitchen island, some are stargazing on the deck, others are playing board games at the dining room table, and there are a few out by the bonfire on the beach.  There is music playing and at least five different types of chips and dips. Everyone is socializing and laughing and having fun without a worry in the world.

11 PM – I head out to the fire.

11 PM- Midnight – I spend the rest of the night talking by the fire.  Sharing a mix of hopes, dreams, and philosophical discussion surrounded by the people I care about most.  I will do my best to follow the conversation, but will probably fall asleep by the fire with a huge smile on my face reminiscing about the most wonderful day I could have ever imagined!

High-Clip

Much like Carrot, the best I can dream of consists of climbing, family/friends, food, and animals/nature. It gives me great pleasure to say that I’ve already had days that have felt perfect consisting of these things, and I am very grateful for that. Does that mean I should stop there? Never!

Midnight – 9AM – If there is something that you need to know about High-Clip, it’s that she needs her sleep. It’s true that I need a good amount of sleep to function, but I also get so much joy being cuddled up with my cat, safe and warm inside our little home.

9AM – 10AM – I also love breakfast. With my unlimited budget I will buy every human being on the planet whatever meals they want for the day. I will politely suggest that we all get some really good bread, at least to start the day, because what is better than bread?

10AM – 11AM – The crew and I head to the local shelter where each of us picks out a dog to take out for the day. We then take a helicopter (I’ve always had an interest in aviation) to an adventure crag where we pick out the best looking multipitch route.

11AM – 1PM – We work our way up the route (we have people below to hang with the dogs).

1PM – Snack time. Perhaps some bread (yes, again) and cheese, hummus, gingerbread cookies, grapes, and/or Goldfish. The dogs get a nice big bone-shaped treat to gnaw and snack on.

1PM-4PM – We send! Trading leads, taking pics, snacking, chatting…the dream.

4PM – Share a victory baguette at the peak.

4PM-5PM – We rappel or walk down, and then play with our dogs for a little.

5PM-6PM – We take the helicopter to the most cozy cabin you can imagine in the middle of nowhere where we meet up with everyone I could possibly want to see. As we take turns for the shower, we trade stories about our day and exchange photos. Meanwhile, another helicopter drops in a feast for us.

6PM – 7PM – We feast on all kinds of food, all imported from their country of origin…paneer, curries, pizza, pastas, quesadillas, tacos, pierogies, potato pancakes, bread (obviously), caesar salad, Nashville hot tofu, pad thai, drunken noodles, spring rolls…The dogs also get the most exciting meal imaginable, and they eat alongside us, getting pats and belly rubs in between bites. Great conversation naturally forms from great food, so there’s nothing to plan there!

7PM – 10PM – Party! We take the dogs out for walks in the forest, we have several board games going, and we otherwise relax. In one of the rooms, we have massages to work out the knots from the day. In another, we have a ton of dog beds. Outside, the sun goes down and the stars sparkle against the deepest black stay you could ever imagine, and not a sound can be heard for miles.

10PM – Midnight – Naturally, there’s another snack break: dessert! This time, we have ice cream, pies, cakes, crepes, cookies…Everyone brings out their food to the bonfire in the backyard. We chat about small things, but as the black of the night gets deeper, so does our conversation. Soon our secrets are out and we are nothing but our true selves, listening to the crackle of the fire and petting our various animals.

Midnight – I climb into bed, and once I’m settled my cat takes her favorite spot on my legs. I fall asleep the happiest person alive, dreaming of my experiences of the day (and bread, of course).