September was a fast month, but packed with two incredible trips that will be hard to part from the memory bank. First, to the tropical land of Hawaii, precisely the island of Oahu to hang out on the North Shore with some great people. The trip was wonderful in many ways, being able to go scuba diving, surfing, hiking, relaxing, and having a shit ton of fun! This trip made it possible for me to try out scuba diving for the first time in my life and let me tell you, I think everyone should try it. Once comfortable under the water, scuba diving is the most peaceful, stress-less, freeing activity, and how could hate being like a fish for like an hour. Check out more images of the Oahu trip here.

The second trip in September was a summit climb of Mt. Adams with a great group of people. The above picture is from the summit of Mt. Adams, sitting at 12,281 ft. Being up there, felt as if I was on another planet or something. The climb was challenging, super exciting, and an altitude test for myself. Most of the hike, I felt great until the first step to descend from the summit. All of a sudden, it felt as if someone was stealing my oxygen. Once it started happening, my stress level was causing a little chain reaction to other functions I truly needed to get back to our basecamp at 9,000 ft. My balance started to fade, energy level was dropping and my loss of breath wasn’t improving. So with the help of some fantastic friends, they relieved me of my bag, which then just allowed me to focus on just getting back to basecamp. Once there, I laid down and took a short nap, allowing me to gain my usual self back. So in the end, I learned a bunch and gain more validation that good friends are truly there to help and to that, I say, “Thank You.” To view more images from the climb, click here.

Now with the month of September complete and in the past, October seems like a month full of hard work, exploring new territories, and finding new business. Right now, I’m in the last steps of a branding project and some other freelance design jobs, so look for some new work to hit the portfolio this month.

In other highlights, if your into Doom Metal, you should check out the new YOB album called The Great Cessation. They’re back from the dead with the same dark and low end fury. The album has been out since July, but I’ve been reminded of it’s power because the album has been in heavy rotation in my playlist lately. I’m looking forward to them playing here in Portland at the end of the month.