Ultimately, I wanted to own a big truck, exercise my second Amendment rights, listen to hardcore music, and let my congressman know how poorly he represents me. None of this could occur in France.

So go ahead, break stuff. Break yourself on the once-hard edges of yourself. And recycle the debris into the foundation of your future.

I scavenged for sensation, sought myself in the rewards of being out there, across the Border.

One hour three times per week in the gym is no counterbalance to all of the other behavior in those other 165 hours

Modern man is conditioned to expect instant gratification, but any success or triumph realized quickly, with only marginal effort, is necessarily shallow. Meaningful achievement takes time, hard work, persistence, patience, proper intent and self-awareness. The path to success is punctuated by failure, consolidation, and renewed effort.

I don't actually care what I climb, only how it affects me. Which means the summit doesn't matter as much as the emotional process.

Everything costs something everyone pays