Teddy Dondanville
Rock Climbing Guide & Freelance Writer
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A while back I bought a book for Whitney as a gift. I became interested in the book because the author was a climber and self-publisher. I had read some of his other stuff and liked his writing. When I found out I could contribute to his Kickstarter campaign and receive a copy of the book I went for it. I didn’t know much about the book besides that it was a… Read More
Life is like a flower feed it with passionwatch it grow. Open up, show your colorsshare your beautyand your scent. Soak up your sun, while you canbecause on Sundays the gardener comes.
Part 3: Old English There was still some climbing left to be done for the weekend. The long distance we traveled necessitated that we take as much advantage of the pristine Red River Gorge rock as we could. In addition to that, at this point in our trip, there had been a shift in me. I didn’t want to go home anymore. The panicky urge to drive back to Illinois and then… Read More
Part 2: There After The following day the only thing that dragged me out of my tent was the urge to pee. Without that, I might have stayed in my plastic coffin all day, staring off into the orange colored oblivion and sweating in the midday heat. I became jealous of Mike and Hannah who had a tent to share. Mine felt incredibly lonely. My first interactions with other campers that morning were… Read More
Part 1: The Phone Call The air was cold. I crawled out of my tent like any other morning in the mountains. A low fog was hanging over the meadow. I saw my breathe as I sauntered idly to the picnic tables, frozen grass crackling beneath my feet. I tried to walk lightly so not to hurt the vegetation. Toads in the creek were too waking up, although their nocturnal croaks made… Read More
On November 1st a lot of Peruvians celebrate All Saints Day. Today the streets were full with flower vendors so that people could buy fresh flowers to bring to their loved ones who have passed on. Many families will bake bread, spend the day together and visit the cemeteries where friends and family members have been buried. Having moved out of my host family’s house I was not able to participate in… Read More
On May 3rd, 2018 my grandpa left his body and passed on. He was the loving father of my mom and Auntie Tia. A month or so prior, I had recieved the news that he was admitted to the hospital. He was having problems with breathing while he slept. His heart wasn’t working like it used to. He stayed in the hospital a couple weeks while they monitored his improvement. Finally he… Read More
Four months is a short time But each day you made my smile shine. I loved the meals we shared And the oceans in which we stared. Your iconic laughter Filled the room to the rafter. And your smooth Spanish skills They gave me the chills. I was lucky to be your roommate Not once did I ever feel hate. Instead I felt pride If only you were by my… Read More
After one’s departure We often think: Where do our lovers go? What is the next step? Not once do we hypothesize: Where does the world go, when our lovers can’t speak? They are the ones who might be missing, But we are the ones who are lost; Struggling to be found. Without them we are not whole. Turning inward, We pray Meditate Rationalize: Surely there must be a destination? We hold tight… Read More
Teddy Dondanville 