Climbing the final rocky crest, white art deco struts and pillars appeared out of the ground like the most convincing mirage. A sense of accomplishment came over me which was amplified by the rare occurrence of met expectations.

However, for as much as I valued standing before our destination at the peak of the expedition, it was the 4.5 mile hike up the mountain, through rivers and over endless rocky faces that was the real prize of this weekend’s outdoor excursion.

After a trying week in the fluorescent cube-opticon that constitutes as a day job. Slaving away on the multitude of marketing minutiae, under the (newly added) watchful eye of a less than inconspicuous teleconference camera, turned impromptu surveillance system, I realized this break from civilization is the perfect metaphor for my life at its current juncture.

While the accomplishment of reaching the destination, like being awarded a promotion is sweet. If you don’t enjoy every step along the way the destination is really just a bridge to nowhere. How conveniently then, should it happen to be this Angeles National Forest hiking trail be named “Bridge to Nowhere”? It was quite literally a beautiful and pristine bridge in the middle of, and leading to… nowhere.

The moral of this metaphor reaffirmed that I must continue pushing to get on the path that provides fulfillment and accomplishment. With a catatonia inducing comfy career in one hand, and a passion for engaging with and hopefully innovating the sociopolitical discourse in the other; the latter looks like the obvious fork to take. Hands down!

But for now, while I make the necessary arrangements to tackle that alluring trail I will have my regular hikes with my friends to constantly remind me of my ultimate goal. For once, not the bridge to nowhere, but finally, the right path.

DAILY VICTORY

Successful implemented the “Play as hard as you work congruence theory” in my life. Came out of it with carpel-tunnel, a bum knee, a big smile and a nerdy psuedo-scientific catch phrase that reads like an episode of Big Bang Theory.

DAILY FAIL

My 4 year old daughter who, bless her heart, loves “Brack-a-bama” (probably because she like saying his name) was eager to point out his smug-mug on her pre-school’s weekly newsletter. But when I looked closer hilarity ensued. I couldn’t help but notice the Social Studies lesson the children were being taught which justified his presence on my child’s school correspondence. What the lesson should be is “Writing letters to the President to show proof of Citizenship”. That’s why today’s daily fail goes to “Edumuckation”!