Work & Play - ALPSinsight

I unlock and swing the door open just in time. My backpack, skis, poles, boots, groceries, mail and travel bag all crash to the floor in one pile.
Home!
The better part of one month has been spent living in mountain huts in Italy, Austria and Switzerland with little privacy, earplugs in, smelly blankets and dealing with certain nationalities more prone to farting and snoring. The flipside to the glamorous world of being a mountain sports photographer.
After dropping Janine and our friend John Dittli off in Innsbruck for their flight to the US, I speed home savoring my solitude. With two weeks to myself and just a bit of shooting scheduled, I look forward to some quality time with my Apple laptop and my bike. Being away so much actually has me looking forward to staring at my 17″ screen as much as staring at my 1″ bike computer.

And so I step over my massive pile of gear, log in, check email and the news.
Scanning through all my hundreds of emails my eye settles first on Tim Neville’s update. Tim is a good friend and a writer, a great writer, regularly featured in Outside, NY Times and many other top pubs. I am always anxious when he is featured in my Inbox for I know he’ll have been up to something fun.
Just back from his own travels he has posted a slideshow, Sushi & Croissants, at his website. I watch it, mesmerized, lost in his work, feeling as if I have never traveled but wanting to so badly. Tim has made me smile, made me feel excited about my own upcoming plans. His photos have his energy, his joy for living and sharing. Someone who loves what they do.

“He does this for work?” …this before reminding myself, “Uh Dan, you do the exact same thing.”

Yet still he has influenced me, made me vibrate with enthusiasm for life, made me want to just gather up all my stuff I just let plummet to the floor and go right back out there. We are of the same breed. Mostly he has reminded me of what it feels like to be inspired, and it feels good. What else is there but to live, and to live with enthusiasm? Thanks Tim.

Janine and Elinor Fish during one of the few hours
the sun made itself present in the month of April

Dan sending the yellow problem inside an Austrian Hut while a blizzard rages outside. The inside temp was at least 52, making conditions slightly unpleasant.