Father. Fighter. Wanderer. This is where unfiltered stories of fatherhood, mental health battles, trail miles, and healing collide. Gear tested in the dirt, poems written in the dark, and lessons pulled from both.
"35, Broken, and Trying Anyway" I’m 35. A father of three. Not perfect. Complicated upbringing. Abandonment issues. PTSD, ADHD, Bipolar — unmedicated. I’ve barely managed to hold it together all these years, trying to be the man I thought I needed to be. Time’s creeping up behind me like the bald spots sneaking in on the back of my head, and every morning I wake up sore like I lost a fight in my sleep. Most days, it feels like I’ve given up. Life runs on autopilot: wake up, get the kids ready, scramble to remember whatever special event they’ve got going on, drop them off at different places, and head to work to manage a Non-Profit site that brings its own set of problems. I forget my lunch — again — stress over the endless to-do list, and sometimes cry on the drive home. But I shove it all down, pick the kids up, ask about their day while my brain’s drowning in the mental checklist of chores waiting for me. Evenings are a blur of dogs barking, dinner battles, sibli...
“Loving Him Through It: Learning to Parent While Healing Myself” Before I talk about our camping trip I want to talk a little about why this trip was so important to me and how I had gotten to the point that I had. Since kindergarten, Grayson’s struggled. School never fit him. He had a hard time regulating his emotions, making lasting friendships, or feeling like he belonged — and it cut deep because I recognized every bit of it. I lived that. And just like me, he didn’t have the words for what was happening inside his head. I tried everything. More one-on-one time. Elaborate trips. Soccer, baseball, boxing. I bought him things I couldn’t afford, hoping they’d fill a hole I didn’t know how to reach. I swung between coddling him and losing my temper. Lecturing when I should’ve listened. Inconsistent in my efforts to actually help. Truth is — I didn’t see that I was part of the problem By the time...
🏕️ Gear Review: Rumpl Wrap Sack — Is It Backpacker-Ready or Just Campground Cool? Preface: I’m an avid backpacker who’s always hunting for gear that balances comfort, weight, and packability. I’ve had my eye on the Rumpl Wrap Sack for a while now because — let’s be honest — it just looks so damn cool. A cozy, hooded sleeping bag that isn’t a mummy? I was intrigued. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one on REI . Mine was $200 flat, but its on sale now until May 26th for 187.39 It arrived yesterday. 📦 First Impressions: The design is awesome. The shape, the style — it stands out from your typical backcountry bag lineup. But this thing is chunky . It weighs in around 6 lbs and does not compress well . It took up a ton of space in my 50L pack, and I had to leave behind my thermals and extra blanket for my test run. ❄️ Field Test Conditions: Took it out last night in the Northern Colorado mountains with temps dropping to about 22°F . Perfect testing environmen...
Comments
Post a Comment