Usuku lwaseColorado
Ukuqala kwam ukucinga ngeColorado kwakubuyile ngo-1999 ngelixa ndihleli kwindawo yokutyibiliza e-West Virginia. Njengomntu othanda ikhephu, andizange ndikwazi ukuzibamba ndazibuza ukuba zazinjani iintaba “ezinkulu”. Bekuya kuba yiminyaka emininzi kamva xa ndifumanisa. Ngo-2008, ndasuswa ekholejini kwaye ndihlala eMzantsi Florida. Kwakusele kuyiminyaka emihlanu kushushu emgxobhozweni, yaye yayilixesha lokuqhubeka. Abantu endandihlala nabo ngelo xesha babesuka eFort Collins, kwaye besazi ukuba ndandifuna indawo engaphandle kunye nokucinga okuphambili, bandiqinisekisa ukuba ndiye apha eColorado. Ndagcina imali ndisebenza kwivenkile yokushicilela ngelo hlobo, ndapakisha imoto yam, kwaye ndahamba eFlorida kwangaloo veki intengiso yaqalisa kwaye kwaqala iNgxaki enkulu yezeMali. Yayiluhambo olunzima, ndingenamsebenzi, ndingazi mntu, kwaye ndingazange ndilubeke unyawo kwesi simo. Kodwa, njengesiqhelo, ndasibekela ecaleni isimo sengqondo esihle esatyalwe ngabazali bam ndaza ndathabatha umtsi. Ndandijonge ntoni? Ukhetho olungcono lomsebenzi, abantu abanengqondo efanayo, kunye nekhephu. Ikhephu elininzi.
Iminyaka embalwa yokuqala yayinzima. Ndiphulukene nemisebenzi eliqela ekuqaleni kwaye kwavakala ngathi andikhange ndiphele tu. Bekuya kuthabatha iminyaka emithathu ukufumana ingca yam, kodwa andizange ndiyivumele loo nto ukuba indiyekise ukubaleka ezintabeni ngalo lonke ithuba endilifumanayo. Yayiyiloo nto endandiyiphupha ngayo ndisengumntwana, ndisihla ndinyuka kwiingqungquthela, i-snowboarding kwi-champagne powder (eyanyamalala ngokudabukisayo) kwaye ngokubanzi ndiziva ndixhumeke kuluntu olukhulu kanye. Kwakukho ukugcinwa okuninzi, nangona kunjalo. Bendihlala ndikhangela i-REI kuxinzelelo oluncinci, ndijonge kumaxabiso egiya kunye ne-balking. Umntu ufikelela njani kule ndlela yokuphila? Ndiza kuthini? Mna nabahlobo bam besiya kuhlanganisa ezona zixhobo zingcono esasinokuzifumana ngelo xesha. Kwakubanda kakhulu iintsuku ezifumileyo. Kodwa ayizange isidimaze.
Njengoko iminyaka yayihamba, ndafumana unyawo lwam. Ndazakhela ikhondo lomsebenzi kwaye ndazifaka kwimisebenzi ye-niche. Ndandizithanda iintaba nabantu, ngoko ndandizimisele ukuyenza. Iingqungquthela ezingamashumi amahlanu kamva (kunye nokubala), iphantse yafana nephupha lomkhuhlane. Ndikhe ndankqenkqeza phambili kumdlalo omtsha kwi-splitboarding. Ndaba Iziko laseMelika loPhando lweAvalanche kunye neMfundo (AAIRE) eqinisekisiweyo yokukhangela i-avalanche kunye nokuhlangula. Ndikhe ndatyibilika (i-splitboarding) eziliqela ezili-14 ukusuka phezulu ukuya ezantsi, ndipakishwe ngobhaka kwiindidi ezininzi kuzo zonke iintlobo zeemeko, kwaye kutshanje ndiye ndafikelela kwintaba yam yama-54 ngaphezulu kweenyawo ezili-13,000. Ndiyibonile le meko ngeendlela abantu abaninzi abaphupha ngazo kuphela, okanye babone kwiifoto. Namhlanje, i-REI iphawulwe kwizikhangeli zam kwaye usetyenziso luhlala luvuliwe. Ukuthandana kwezi ntaba akupheli. Impilo yam yengqondo kunye nomzimba ingcono ngokuhlala apha. Indlela endibujonga ngayo ubomi ibhetele ngokufudukela apha. Ndinehlabathi lokubulela kubazali bam, ababewazi amaphupha am kwaye bandityhala ukuba ndiwenze abe yinyaniso. Ukususela ehleli kwi-ski lift e-West Virginia eneminyaka eyi-17, ezibuza ukuba kwakunjani kwiintaba ezinkulu, ukwakha yonke indlela yokuphila ejikeleze ezi ntaba ngaphambi kweminyaka eyi-40. Yonke le minyaka kamva kunye neColorado iyaqhubeka nokutshintsha ngokukhawuleza, kodwa Ndiyavuya nje ukuba lapha.
Nantsi enye yeengoma endizithandayo malunga neColorado ukusuka ngelo xesha phakathi koo-2000.
I-Grizzly Bear "iColorado"
