With 2009 drawing to a close I’ve been reflecting on just how amazing this year has been. 2009 was the year I broke out from the mundane and started truly living a life of adventure.

And Boy oh Boy! What an amazing adventure it’s been getting to the New Year.

Seems like I traveled all over the great USA. I spent time ministering to kids with Live Offensively For God Ministries. Went rock climbing and sleep outside in a desert under the stars in just my sleeping bag for the first time ever. All along the way making new friends and trying new things that pushed me outside of my comfort zone.

This is the year that my the vision for my life grew. I started dreaming bigger than before.

This is the year that I got married!

It’s also the first year I lived completely debt free, and above my means. I didn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.

So let me take you on a little photo tour of my year:

A Year of Travel

I traveled all over the USA this year. Some of my favorite places where out west: Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.
This was the first time I ever saw the Pacific ocean from the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful.

I visited Devils Tower and had a crazy adventure during the night. We got stuck on the side of the tower during a rain storm, and it was pitch black out. Our only illumination as we climbed down came from the spectacular lightning show. Our adrenalin pumping adventure was capped off with a fast run through thick mud and underbrush to the safety of our vehicle.

I went Kayaking at Devils Lake in Wisconsin.

I saw Crater Lake for the first time. It was beautiful.

I even saw Mt Rushmore, which isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. What was exciting are the Black Hills behind Mt Rushmore. Awesome climbing and beautiful hiking!

A Year of Rock Climbing

I did a lot of Rock Climbing this year. It was something I wanted to get into more. I was blessed to have the opportunity to do it often. This is mostly in part to my good buddy, Joe Baker, for taking me.

I got to climb in one of the best climbing spots in America, Smith Rock in Oregon.

More of the beautiful Smith Rock.

A Year of Alpine Adventure

I traveled to the Wind Rivers Range in Wyoming this August to go alpine climbing and backpacking. It was an amazing experience! I spent a total of eight days in the wilderness. Not a campground, a WILDERNESS. It’s a place that if you were injured you might just end up dead.

This place was just awe inspiring on every single level. The sheer size of the mountains, is just indescribable.

And yes I did hike in the same two pairs of pants and two pairs of shirts for 8 days.

A Year of Brothers

This was a year that I formed a real band of brothers with some close guy friends for the first time.

My Live Offensively Band of Brothers (and sister!)

The year I got Married!

The very best, and I mean best day of my life took place this year in 2009. This is the year that I meet and fell in love with my wife. It didn’t take long for us to get married after meeting. It was a match made in heaven, and she is an amazing woman.

The Best Day of my Life was August 29th, 2009.

A Year of Lifestyle

For me, 2009 was really a year all about lifestyle and dream building: How I want to live and how I will live.  Both me and my wife have BIG DREAMS.

Enjoying the finer points of financial freedom.

Taking my wife on a shopping spree, because every women should be pampered!

My Audi

A little gift to myself, for an awesome year.

What did you do this year?

Was it spent trapped inside a cubical?

I certainly hope not, and if it was, I hope 2010 is the year you break free and achieve your dreams.

YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE SET OF PHOTOS NOT FEATURED IN THIS POST ON My FLICKR HERE