Why Did It Take Sobriety For Me To See Beauty In The World? (WDITSFMTSBITW)

I took yesterday off to kind of regroup with the blog. Not that I am tired of it or anything like that, but I got a new 4k dashcam so the time it takes to compile and upload video is almost two days. So essentially, I needed a gap day to get to where I can premiere videos on YouTube nightly at 11pm (that is the goal). These blog and journal posts would then be written with the video and the blog post will be on here at 6am the following morning (once again just a goal and a plan).

That being said, what has most been on my mind lately is regret. This is new though, my regret is not pulling my head out of my ass sooner. Sometime in the last 19 months I have really found a new appreciation for life. It is a realistic appreciation that is not in the clouds looking down, just as it is not in hell looking up. That thought is I have taken the beauty of my home state for granted. I am laughing as I type this because what I really regret is not getting sober sooner.

I actually do not regret all of the drinking and drug use, it is part of me now. I just wish it did not take so long for me to grow tired enough of doing it to make a change in myself. Those personal changes never come easy!

So here we are exploring my home state together, kind of for the first time. We have explored it inebriated, now I explore it clear-headed. I see so much more, and it is not all bad! The beauty around me, and my being blind to it despite existing in it, has made me realize I probably have been taking many things for granted.

I will share a story with you real quick: This one time, I got so drunk I wound up in rehab and lost a decades of my life. So now I live every day at 200% effort and sober so that I can make up for lost time!

I love you internet family, and thank you for riding with me!

Recorded: 3/11/2025
Visibility: Sunny

Destinations in chronological order:

South Charleston, WV: B-28:13, 1:21:25-1:28:27, 1:46:43-2:04:01, 5:05:54-E
Thomas Hospital Rear Entrance, Chesapeake Street, Kanawha Turnpike, WV601/Jefferson Road, US119/Corridor G, Parkway Drive, Centre Street, South Central Regional Jail, Southridge, Marshall Way, Dunbar Toll Bridge, US60/MacCorkle Avenue, I64, Ford Street, RHL Boulevard, Shops at Trace Fork, Dudley Farms Plaza

Charleston, WV: 28:13-1:17:40, 2:04:01-2:28:22, 4:34:43-5:05:54
US119/Corridor G, I64, I64/I77, US60/Kanawha Boulevard East/Midland Trail/East Dupont Road, WV7\3/Campbells Creek, Midway School (closed), I77/I79, Westmorland Drive, Crescent Road, Garrison Avenue, US60/Washington Street West, WV25/7th Avenue/Dunbar Avenue, Lee Street, US119/Pennsylvania Avenue, Market Street, Watts Street, Watts Elementary (closed), big accident on I64 in oncoming traffic 2:23:15, WV4/Four Mile Hollow Road/Kanawha State Forest Road (Kanawha State Forest)

Dunbar, WV: 1:17:40-1:21:25, 1:28:27-1:31:40, 1:43:32-1:46:43
WV25/7th Avenue/Dunbar Avenue, WV25/10th Street, Dunbar Toll Bridge

Cross Lanes, WV: 1:31:40-1:33:10, 1:41:52-1:43:32
I64

Nitro, WV: 1:33:10-1:41:52
I64, WV25/1st Avenue

Malden, WV: 2:28:22-2:32:19
US60/Midland Trail/Kanawha Boulevard East/East Dupont Road

Belle, WV: 2:32:19-2:36:44
US60/Midland Trail/Kanawha Boulevard East/East Dupont Road

Quincy, WV: 2:36:44-2:45:23,
US60/Midland Trail/Kanawha Boulevard East/East Dupont Road, Warrior Way, Chelyan Bridge

Chelyan, WV: 2:45:23-2:55:27, 3:08:57-3:19:30, 4:11:16-4:25:04
Chelyan Bridge, WV61/MacCorkle Avenue, Access Road

Pratt, WV: 2:55:27-3:08:57, 4:03:26-4:11:16
WV61/MacCorkle Avenue, Pratt Road

Cedar Grove, WV: 3:19:30-3:31:47
US60/Midland Trail/East Dupont Road

Montgomery, WV: 3:31:47-4:03:26
US60/Midland Trail/East Dupont Road, Montgomery Bridge, WV61\25/5th Avenue, Adams Street, Montgomery General Hospital & Parking Garage, Washington Street, 4th Avenue, 1st Baptist Church (closed), WV Tech Campus (closed), Golden Bear Drive, University Satellite Parking Lot (closed), WV Tech Stadium (closed), Vining Library (closed)

Marmet, WV: 4:25:04-4:26:51
WV61/MacCorkle Avenue, CR94/Lens Creek Road

Hernshaw, WV: 4:26:51-4:34:46
CR94/Lens Creek Road, WV4/Four Mile Hollow Road/Kanawha State Forest Road, Branch @ Prichard Mine Access – Continue up hill to Kanawha State Forest (this is the least densely populated part of WV most populated county, as you might expect the terrain is difficult) this is where I switched back to Charleston

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570980376051 – my Facebook
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt53MMb1R6eOf49jw7LQkPw – my YouTube
https://venmo.com/noggynet – my Venmo