My chair

The O'Hares have finally entered the realm of "adulthood" - we purchased our first ever piece of furniture. Granted, we live a different life than most, but...

My wife surprised me with burnt orange armchair, and I. Am. In. Love.

Not only does it make me look regal (not a difficult task), it is super comfortable. And since this is the closes to a recliner I'll ever get, I am tickled pink!

Golden Birthday review

I turned 29 on the 29th of May.


This is the first birthday where I officially feel old - leaving my twenties in just a year.

To kick off the last year in my twenties, we decided to go big.


I woke up on the morning of my birthday to a collapsing tent under the weight of the snow from the storm the night before.  We kicked the snow off, ate breakfast, then set off for climbing a glacier.  It actually wasn't as hardcore as it sounds - I mean I didn't throw up like I did hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge (which according to our friend Jarred whether or not I am throwing up is his new litmus test for if something is hardcore).

We came back to the city a couple of days later, where Aaron and I got caught in a rain storm heading to one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate my birthday.....only to get there and discover it was closed.....so we had McDonald's for dinner instead.


The next night Aaron took me out on a date to the nice Italian restaurant he took me to for our anniversary.

AND then the next night he surprised me by taking me to the previously closed restaurant for a surprise dinner with some local friends.

It was a good birthday.  I think it's going to be a good year.

Last hike

This past week, after 9 years, 2 continents, 1 re-soling, and a ton of miles, my Vasque Sundowners made their final hike. When I bought them, I paid $170 and hoped dearly that they would be worth it.

They carried me through many miles with my friends Will, Mark, and Tanner in college, and more recently, with my lovely wife. I would certainly say they were worth it.

Here are pictures from last week's hike, a week-long trek at 14,000ft in western China that was a fitting last waltz:

Fog rolls into the valley

Climbing the ridge over a glacial lake

Whiteout fog made it hard to see anything past 50ft.

Stacy and I on the banks of the lake

Fresh snowfall on our 4th morning

Someone makes ordering shawarma *POP*

And it's me! You're welcome, Lebanese food...

Someone makes an evil glare *POP*

And I married her!

Someone makes a waterfall in the mountains *POP*

And I married her!

Someone makes Hong Kong Harbor *POP*

And I married her!

You've been warned.

I'd like to thank our university, not only for preparing us for any contingency - such as a return to the 1950s and a need for air raid sirens... but also for rolling it into one easy to handle concept: disaster. 

Now I know that if I hear those sirens again, while the nature of the disaster may be varied and veiled, the basic facts are clear: disaster is upon us, please keep calm.

Coming soon to America

BBC news had an article this week on adult playgrounds (the picture above is from the article).  Apparently the UK, inspired by China, has decided to add adult playgrounds to parks.  Click on adult playgrounds to go to the article.

I hope that one day I can make a similar video in America to the video we posted on an earlier blog about adult playgrounds in China.

虎跳峡 Hu Tiao Xia, Tiger Leaping Gorge

Have you ever mentally thought that you could do more than your body is physically able to, but didn't realize it until your body was forced into one of three things: passing out, pooping your pants, or throwing up?


That's what happened to me last week.  Aaron and I went to Yunnan Province to Tiger Leaping Gorge (the deepest gorge in the world) to do a couple day hike through the high trail.  Aaron had been before 5 years ago and after seeing his pictures I really wanted to go.  So last week during our International Labor Day Holiday Aaron and I did the hike.  When we got to the start of the trail there were a lot of other people joining us, so of course, I wanted to pass them.  I didn't want other people on my quiet, get away from the city and other people, trail.  So I pushed hard (or at least hard for me).  And then about 30 minutes into the trail, I asked Aaron if we could stop for a break.


Then I sat down.
"I think I'm going to pass out....."
"....I may poop my pants...."
"....Can you sit down next to me?"
Lean my head on his shoulder, then immediately bounce my head back up, turn away from him and throw up down the trail.
Twice.


I had to sit there and watch as people I worked so hard to get in front of walked through my vomit.  Whoops.


I'm not sure why I threw up actually.  That part of the trail isn't that hard.  It wasn't too hot.  I was going fast for myself, but not super fast - I mean, Aaron kept up without throwing up.  We were at 7,000ft which is higher than we live at, but we had been at the elevation for a couple of days already and I felt better after I threw up.  I may have drank too much water or not enough....not sure.  But I threw up.  We sat for a minute, then we kept going.


And we still beat everyone we started with to the Halfway Guesthouse.

on the way to the gorge

not too long after the throwing up incident.  feeling better.

at halfway guesthouse
what a hottie.