Things I do outside of writing cool stuff for you
I split my time between my wife, my daughter, my close friends, my writing, and that thing ninety percent of creatives call their day job. My day job is as a park guide at the most visited park in Colorado and one of the most visited travel destinations in the country: Garden of the Gods. Working at the Garden has many perks, not least of which is a phenomenal view and the daily opportunity to get up close and personal with its geological, ecological, and historical wonders. Beats working in a cubicle no matter the pay.
In recent weeks this day job of mine has been the locus of some severe awesomeness. So, I thought I’d share the awesome with you, not in the hopes you’ll be jealous or put off, but in the hope that you’ll be inspired to see the awesome in your own life and share it, too. Oh, and maybe you’ll come visit me in the Park!
In recent weeks this job has been awesome. So, I thought I’d share the awesomeness with you!
Between August and September I have a trio of great things to relate. First, in mid-August I participated in a climb at Garden of the Gods. Rock climbing, as an American sport and pastime began at the Garden almost 150 years ago. I got to be part of that lineage when I climbed a route called Silver Spoon, one of the nearly 300 climbing routes mapped in the Park. Now, I hadn’t climbed since my Army days and it took me a while to trust my feet and the gear. But once I was up, I was all in. If you’ve never climbed and you’re decently fit, I cannot recommend enough taking a guided climb in your area. Phenomenal.
At the end of August I got to experience a dream fulfilled. For three days, Chef Walter Staib and the crew from A Taste of History came to Colorado Springs to film an episode of their show at Garden of the Gods and Rock Ledge Ranch. A Taste of History is a multi-Emmy Award Winning program that combines history, culture, travel, and cooking. Our episode will be part of the fourteenth and final season airing in the fall 2024. Meeting Chef Walter–after having watched every episode of his show, repeatedly–was thrilling. He and the crew were so personable and keen to get the best out of all those who helped build this episode (including me) that it made the whole experience a true joy. For those brief days I was back being Bowen the actor, a life I lived for about four years after leaving the Army. Thank you Chef, Phil, Tom, and Kevin. It was spectacular!
In mid-September I have another cool deal tied to my day job. I get to be part of a community-wide Liquid Lecture series. These are scientific (or at least academic) lectures given at various area microbreweries, brewpubs, and distilleries. I have been asked to present on the lost structures of the Garden of the Gods, a topic I love talking about. My presentation will address some of the buildings and facilities that used to sit amongst the dramatic rocks of the park, who built them and why, and what happened to them. It’s a talk I’ve given many times before, but never outside the Park and never with alcohol. Should be fun!
Just because we do something else to pay the bills, doesn’t mean that something has to be a drag.
Fellow writers and creatives: what’s your day job? What’s exciting about it and what can you share with the broader world? I hope we can connect one day at the Garden of the Gods, a day job I plan to hold onto for quite a while to come.
