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2007 was a busy year starting off with New Years in Austin with SU friends. Then it was a quick trip back to Winnemucca where I had moved two months before hand. Back in the 'muc there was a real need to get out and about during the winter. For MLK day I made a trip with friends to Yosemite and Death Valley for presidents day.
My parents came out in April for a weekend and we went to Fly Geyser. Probably the most amazing natural feature I have ever seen especially for how unique it is. Then in May I had a conference in Portland, OR and got to meet up with Kristina and A. Landon. Business conference's are the best for getting together with friends. To start off the summer I went on a personal backpacking trip to the Toiyabe Range in the middle of Nevada. Then June I got to spend a week rafting down the Green River in Desolation Canyon. It was in the middle of nowhere and relaxing to live on river time for a week.
It was good I had a relaxing week because the rest of the summer was non-stop. I spent most of July in Reno supporting fire operations, it was hard work with long hours, but I loved it. Then in the end of August I spent my free time on the Black Rock Playa, first was the Perseids Meteor shower, then again a week for Burning Man.
Burning Man is indescribable. It's about 50,000 people going to the middle of nowhere and throwing a huge party. Crazy costumes, bright lights, free parties and amazing limitless works of art. Most of these things would not be able to be housed in any other gallery. Then at the end, most of it is burned. Fire is a predominant theme of Burning Man, from fire dancers to flaming sculptures.
Things slowed down a bit after that. I spent a week in Idaho finishing off the fire season doing mapping support again. Then for fall, saw first snow at a volunteer event at Stevens Camp in a remote Northwestern corner of the state. The next weekend, made a trip to San Francisco for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and at the end of October went back to Georgetown for Homecoming. For Veteran's day, Jessica and I met up with Kristina, Arron, and Pat in Bend, OR. It was great to get away before it was to cold and snowy to enjoy the beautiful mountains.
For Thanksgiving I decided to take a vacation to Europe. I went from Frankfurt to Prague, to Munich, to Freiburg, visited Jennifer, and back to Frankfurt. It was a quick 8 day trip but I got to see a lot, and got to a lot of museums which was the goal. Art, culture and food are things that you can miss from spending to much time in the Muc. Then I went back to Dallas for the week of Christmas and up to see Jessica and her friends and family for a week over New Years.
View pictures in Google Earth.
It was quite the busy year, and I know there are things I missed like Robert's wedding and other smaller weekend trips, but I hope this year will be more organized.