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anfbymyrock
Feb 20, 2004, 2:43 AM
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A couple of days ago I was talking to one of my close friends who I used to be much closer with. She told me she feels that I've "changed" because of my increased interest in climbing as well as other mountaineering sports.
I personally have seen a change in how I use my free time. Rather than going out to movies or a coffee chat, I focus all my free time on climbing, hiking or just getting outdoors in general. I don't mind this, but I've found my climbing has totally changed my perspective on life.
Has anyone else experienced this?
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moabbeth
Feb 20, 2004, 6:07 AM
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I can't remember the last time I went out to see a movie. I have sat around some climber friends' houses on weekend watching videos, does that count?
All I do on weekends is climb...and drive to where I'm going to climb. All my closest friends are climbers now. I can't even imagine dating a guy who didn't climb cause I'd never see him, plus climbing is such a passion of mine that I need someone who can relate to it. The last guy I tried dating that didn't climb would always ask "how was your HIKE" when I'd return on Sunday nights...I'd tell him over and over it's NOT HIKING, it's climbing!! He never got it. And he didn't get me :wink: .
Who cares...it's something I love and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. It's supposed to rain this weekend...I could stay in LA and go to a movie, bar, mall....or I could drive to JT or RR and go for a nice long hike in the rain and hang out with buds and drink. Yep, option #2 will be my choice every time.
Live your life doing what makes you happy...I know I do :P .
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kimmyt
Feb 20, 2004, 1:02 PM
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I didn't really have much of one before I got into climbing...I would go out to the local bar once or twice a week. Now, I go there once at the most, although I still hang out with the same two guys I always did. Instead of making plans for going to bars on the weekend, when I'm asked by my friends, my response is almost always "I'm going to be in _______, climbing."
I do more with my free time, now, when I don't go climbing, I tend to try and at least get out and hike or something else outdoors. I also have gotten more comfortable with just heading to the gym if I feel like I need to burn off some energy or anger. It's very therapeutic. While not all of my friends are climbers, some of them are, and I'm less close with my 'normal' friends. Of course, it's more because they don't understand why I would spend so much of my time doing something other than watching sports and drinking beer.
All in all, I can't complain. I like my newfound independence and meeting new people that are into the same things as I am. My old friends, although they're not really old so much as friendships that I formed in hs and college, are still my friends, but they're more "friends by situation" as opposed to "friends by choice" which I consider my new climbing friends. That doesn't make them any better or worse, just different.
Variety is the spice of life.
End of rambling, incoherent post.
Hey, it's early.
K.
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anfbymyrock
Feb 20, 2004, 4:00 PM
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That conversation with my friend did make a take a second look at myself, an introspective search if you will.
A lot of my time used to consist of hanging out at a coffee shop, or someone's house playing cards or watching a movie (not something that was necessarily a wild-and-crazy endeavor, but QT with friends none-the-less), but now, those available nights have been converted to nights spent at the climbing gym, or afternoons bouldering or training.
And training is another thing. I've noticed my change in how I work out. I've always been really active -- I WAS was training for a triathlon.
However, recently my focus has changed. Everything I do is oriented toward becoming a better climber...I do yoga and pilates even though I don't necessarily enjoy them for the simple objective of strengthening my core muscles. I run harder to increase my endurance for climbing.
I love climbing, I love the way it makes me feel, I love the sense of accomplishment that I get conquering a route that I couldn't make it up before (and it turning into my warm-up), I love getting myself up the wall using different body positions. I'm addicted, and my non-climbing friends don't understand that...
But, I've made so many new (climbing) friends in this process I guess it's kind of worth it, because I'm able to hang out with people that have the same interest and passions that I do.
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missedyno
Feb 20, 2004, 6:17 PM
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Well, I started climbing just after what i guess you could call a major life change.
I chose to (finally) take leave of my parents religion. Because of this decision, many of my "friends" who were in the religion would not talk to me anymore. I do not hold any blame towards them for this, as it is part of their beliefs.
Anyway, so here i am with a lot of free time and no friends. I called someone else i knew that had gone through this before and lo and behold, he had started climbing. I always wanted to try, so i took a course at the gym and it's been a major part of my life since. I built friendships again with people I met climbing.
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winter
Feb 20, 2004, 8:32 PM
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I've become abit of a recluse. I have no social life since climbing. I rarely see my non-climbing friends anymore. I've always been like this though, before climbing I had a horse that took up all of my week nights. This has been a problem in alot of my relationships because I don't have time to spend with them. I have since decided to be single and I love it. I dont' want to date someone who climbs either. It's my thing to do with my climbing partners, that's just how it is.
I never go to the bar anymore because I'm too tired. I do have to say though that I'm not that close with people in the climbing community either...hence recluse status I guess. I find the elitism that goes with climbing stops me from having a lot of really close friends in that group. Luckily my best friend from before climbing and I kind of started at the same time, so we now have that in common which is nice.
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katydid
Feb 20, 2004, 8:36 PM
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I have a lot more "true" friends now.
I mean, how much better of a relationship can you start with a person than trusting each others' lives to one another?
k.
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anfbymyrock
Feb 20, 2004, 9:41 PM
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In reply to: I have a lot more "true" friends now. I mean, how much better of a relationship can you start with a person than trusting each others' lives to one another? k.
I'd agree... I started climbing with people who I didn't know very well before, and with spending so much time with them while climbing, I think you are just more inclined to feel comfortable opening up to that person about other aspects of your life (opposite-sex drama, family drama, etc.)
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litleclimberchick
Feb 20, 2004, 10:36 PM
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climbing has completely changed my life.
i used to hang out with my friends, and go to the movies or the mall; whatever we felt like doing that day. then i would do go home and do homework and study. my life was extremely BORING!
now i climb constantly. i'll take my homework with me to the gym and work on it in between attempts at problems [well, i try to, but i usually don't get as much done as i should]. i hardly ever hang out with my non-climbing friends anymore, except at school. they don't understand climbing, or me. they say ive "changed," i guess i have, but i think it's for the better. if they don't like this me as much as the old me then too bad. 8)
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joe
Feb 20, 2004, 10:49 PM
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my career as a hand model is over.
postcount++
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rvega
Feb 21, 2004, 12:32 AM
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Luckily I convinced all my close friends to climb too. Just this past weekend I took some of those friends climbing for the first time outdoors, not that's all they want to do themselves.
However, because I workout at the climbing gym every evening, I miss out on lots of social events that are planned before 9pm. Also I've started living the European way...eat dinner very late 9:30pm-10ish and take a longer break in the afternoon. But I do think I partake in fewer social things like coffee shopping, movies, and parties on the weekends because that's when I'm climbing. Also, I spend all my vacation time (not to mention money) in the mountains climbing and haven't had a tan in a serious long time. Need to start climbing in warmer weather. :wink:
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rckclimbergurl
Feb 24, 2004, 4:40 AM
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Climbing has had a huge impact on my life.
Before, I'd always hang with my friends from school, we would go to movies, malls, go crusin for 'hot guys.' I hung out with them, but somewhere inside of me I knew this wasn't what I wanted to do. I've always been a cheapskate, and never wanted to go to malls. What's the point of drooling over stuff that you're not gonna buy?? Also, my idea of fun would be to go outside and play... I dunno, capture the flag or something.. and they would want to sit around, chat, and do makeovers for each other. *GAG*
Then I discovered climbing, and all the cool people in the community. I've made so many new friends, gone to new places, and have had countless new experiences. The majority of climbers that I know are sooo much more interesting than my former friends. And you get to know them so well, that you almost become like a family.
Awhile back I had several quarrels with my old school friends. They said that I had changed, and I never wanted to hang out with them. Well, in my defense, they had changed too. In different ways than me. It hurt a lot when my best friend said stuff like that. I was so depressed that we were drifting apart, I mean, I've known her since I was 5, I'm now 17. It's been some time since that fight, and I've gotten over it, although it still hurts. We're just interested in different things, nothing can change that. I would rather spend my time outside with people that want to do things other than sitting around all day whining about their newest crush that they're too shy to talk to. I'd rather spend my money on gear than makeup, lip gloss, and the rest of that 'gurly' stuff. On weekends, I would rather climb than get totally wasted at a party, hurl all over the place, come to school on monday morning (or training on tuesday morning) and say that it was 'cool.'
Yep, climbing has definetely changed my life, and for the better, (for the most part.) Thanks for listening folks.... (errrr....reading..)
:)
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odugie
Feb 24, 2004, 12:42 PM
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My social life has changed so much since I've started climbing. Most of my non-climbing friends understand and we've become "telephone friends" but rarely see each other. Before I started climbing I was very heavily involved in dog rescue......not search and rescue but saving dogs that were in danger of being euthanized and finding them forever homes, after a few years serious burn out took place and I got involved in climbing. Now I am still somewhat involved in rescue but my main focus is climbing. I climb at the gym at least 4 times a week and work out on my off days. I would not want to give up the life I have now for anything.
Nancy
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gblauer
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Feb 24, 2004, 1:48 PM
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In reply to: Well, I started climbing just after what i guess you could call a major life change.
I started climbing just after a major life event (serious illness) and haven't looked back.
Before climbing, I was a workalochic. I spent most of my time away from home, at client sites. I would come home on Fridays exhausted, with little energy for my kids, let alone friends.
Fast Forward to today: I am travelling much less, enjoying my kids much more (we climb together) and am enjoying something even more novel: Friends! Since I started climbing, I have made many friendships within the climbing community. First and foremost, Mitchal, my one true love (and climbing partner). Costellobr and others who are not on the site. I am excited about what this climbing life has to offer. In fact, I am re-planning my retirement so that I can spend most of it climbing/skiiing/kayaking. (My youngest is 12, as soon as he goes to school, I am out of PHL).
Bottom line: Has climbing changed my social life? Hell yeah. I am happier because of it? You bet.
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genevieve
Feb 24, 2004, 3:35 PM
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I started climbing 2 years ago, but did it for one month, only.
Then at the end of summer 2003, we started again. We bought our annual pass for the gym, and we now climb on a regular basis. Since january, I climb about 2-4 times a week (1-2 times, alone, doing traverse to keep in shape, and work on feet and hands moves, and 1-2 times with my BF)...
Since january, I'm totally obsessed by climbing. I wake up and think about it. It's a crazy obsession. And since I'm that much obsessed about it, it changes my life a lot.
I'm not close as I was with the girl who was my "best" friend. I realized how I've changed my perception of everything, of everyone. I now prefer to get closer with people who climb.
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greenspace
Feb 24, 2004, 4:16 PM
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I wish i could meet a hard core climbing girl like some of you in here, i guess i'm gonna have to move out of the flatlands of Indiana and stay in a climbing area instead of driving hours to meet up with other climbers.
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iamthewallress
Feb 24, 2004, 5:39 PM
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In reply to: I wish i could meet a hard core climbing girl like some of you in here, i guess i'm gonna have to move out of the flatlands of Indiana and stay in a climbing area instead of driving hours to meet up with other climbers.
It's funny that you say that, because I've been figuring that if I could move closer to the climbing and spend less time on the road I might have time in my life for more non-climbing-related activities.
I think a lot about what types of changes that I could make in my life to allow me to work less. Usually, it seems, people do this so that they can climb more, but I'd like to do it so that I can climb at least as much as I do now plus pay a bit more attention to basic life maintenance things.
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greenspace
Feb 24, 2004, 8:00 PM
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WORD to that iamthewallress.
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jsh
Feb 25, 2004, 12:11 AM
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In reply to: I can't remember the last time I went out to see a movie.
In reply to: All I do on weekends is climb...
In reply to: It's supposed to rain this weekend...I could stay in LA and go to a movie, bar, mall....or I could drive to JT or RR and go for a nice long hike in the rain and hang out with buds and drink. |
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narb
Feb 25, 2004, 1:51 PM
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A friend back in ABQ introduced me to climbing. I never wanted to do it because I thought I already had a lot to do, but after a few times I was hooked. I'm in grad school (my second stint) now and my attitude is completely different from what it used to be. I used to be a workaholic and extrememly anti-social, squeezing in a workout at 10:30PM and working in the lab all weekend. And low and behold, I burned out. But now I'm outta here early a few days a week during the week and roadtripping on the weekend when the weather's nice. I'm sure it'll take me a bit longer to finish my degree, but I'll be happier and that's the important thing.
Also, my attitude has changed towards people who do so-called "extreme sports". A friend of mine asked me once if I would marry a guy like him who did backcountry telemark skiing, kayaked class V rapids, rock climbed, ice climbed, etc. I said no because I didn't want to be worried constantly about whether he would make it home. But what I didn't understand at the time was passion and that he was taking calculated risks (he did back down from time to time, there were rapids he walked around, lines he didn't ski...). Now that I am climbing, I can understand him better and I respect him more and more. Most people only wish they were so passionate about something.
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adventureman
Feb 25, 2004, 5:11 PM
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I didn't have much of a social life before I started climbing, so not a big change on that front. But since I climb exclusively in the gym right now, I am meeting a lot of people; it's fun to get to know new people who are interested in the same things you are (not just climbing, either...most climbers I've met also hike, camp and mountain bike...all of which are other pursuits of mine).
So if anything, it's probably *helped* my social life. :lol:
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junkie
Feb 25, 2004, 9:09 PM
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I'm not sure I understand the question. I cannot remember the last social life I had outside climbing....
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climbhigh2005
Feb 26, 2004, 5:11 PM
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Well lets see here...
I use to only buy clothes at AF, Ameican Eagle, etc... Now I buy my clothes at good will so I can have money to climb
My friends now are mainly guy dirtbag climbers
I can pee in the woods
I perfer primitive camping than going out with friends and stay in hotels.
I think its cool to be different
I bring my own dinner when I go out with friends to save money
I love nature more than shopping (omg)
I spend my weekends camping and climbing instead of going to the movies, mall, etc.
I would rather sit in front of a camp fire playing guitar then sitting at home watching TV
I sit on the computer typing random facts about myself and how I have changed since I started rockclimbing to people I don't even know. :lol:
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rckclimbergurl
Feb 26, 2004, 11:22 PM
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In reply to: I cannot remember the last social life I had outside climbing....
Right there. That's your problem.
:wink:
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dawnawanna
Feb 26, 2004, 11:35 PM
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It's hard for me to get totally involved in climbing. I have to balance my time between my husband (who doesn't climb) and an 11-month daughter. I rarely watch TV in the evenings or go to movies, I'd rather be at the gym. I also find myself asking every new peron I meet if they've ever been rockclimbing. My climbing partner is also a mom, so we put the kids to bed around 8 and head to the gym for climbing. It'll be better when the weather warms up because we can head outside on Sat mornings (good thing the cliffs are 5 min away). We plan to drag as many future-climbing moms out with us as we can. We'll just convert all our friends to climbing! :D
This summer my husband plans to come out with us and bring our daughter, but he has no plans to climb (doesn't like heights). He does say that he'll belay me all day... something about the good view :wink:
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