Five years ago this week, I started Mike Off the Map. It was a blog that was simply meant to record some of the places I’d been to, a budding outdoor life, and just generally a way to get some thoughts out.
I gave it a month, tops, before I’d probably forget about it.
Five years later. I live in Boulder by way of Seattle. I’m an athlete, a brand ambassador, a writer for one of the world’s most well-known outdoor websites, I’ve broken my heart and my ankle, summited remote peaks, travelled to the desert for weekends, and gotten to interview my heroes. I’m working for a mountain guide company, my dream job, and I get to see inspiring people every single day.
But most important of all, and the greatest part of this entire crazy experience, are the people. From that little group who I talk to every day, to the other bloggers, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and athletes I’ve surrounded myself with, I wouldn’t be where I am, and I wouldn’t be WHO I am if this had never happened. I’m thankful for my climbing partners, for the people I hike with, for everyone who I’ve met through Twitter or Facebook and then find myself on a trail with only a short time later, that’s the reason why I do this. Because every time I think that this project is on its last legs, they encourage me to keep it going.
Thank you for supporting these last five years. Here’s to a generation more of adventure.
