Change Is Difficult

Change is difficult. We all know it, but somehow nobody ever likes going through the process of change. As they say, things get worse before they get better. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the midst of some change at Pack & Paddle.

It’s been 20 years since the last major construction project at P&P. We are now on the brink of some major changes to our building. The plans from the architect are nearly complete and we’re about to start hammerin’ nails. Am I excited? Definitely. Even so, I swing back and forth from elation over some of the ideas we will be bringing to you in the next few months and near-panic of how we’ll get it done. We’re taking the adventurous route of not hiring a contractor. The technical building will be done by Gerald Istre (a friend who hiked the Appalachian Trail the year before Becky and I), and our staff will provide some of the non-technical grunt work along the way.

This is definitely not the “right” way to go about a project like this. Getting bids and contractors would probably be smarter. But we wanted to leave the project a little loose so that we can experiment and create along the way. When you think about it – this is the way really good outdoor adventure is: Make a good plan, but leave it loose enough to improvise. The fact that you can’t clearly see the end is what makes it an “adventure”. I would love to say that I’m all about the adventure of this project 24 hours a day. The fact is, I hate the discomfort of not knowing how we’ll get this project done. But I also know that by doing it this way, we’ll be putting our heart and soul into the construction and in the end that will come through to all of you. Next time you’re in, ask us about what’s happening – and we’ll give you a tour!

Sidenote:
If you’ve been reading Wilderness Words for the last few months, you may remember my lament on saving a few gallons of gas by riding my bike to work since last September. An update on that: Becky and I are still commuting to work on our bikes (and loving it – even in the heat!). What’s fun though is that over the last few months all of our fellow employees have begun to commute as well. Today when I went to grab my bike for lunch, there were 5 (!!!) bikes parked there. Take a stand! Conserve fuel, limit your carbon footprint, be a leader and have fun – all at the same time when you ride your bike to work!