Risk everything
A STORY OF PASSION, FREEDOM AND UNLIKELY FRIENDS
The End Justifies The Means.
Urban
New York, NY
July 7th, 2023
The hour grew closer to midnight with every stair we climbed. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest; fast and hot with anticipation as we pushed onward. I wiped sweat from my brow as my pulse burst into my ear. We quickly disabled the sensor and emerged from the hatch. My hands burned as the wind breached my paper thin gloves. We began frantically searching the roof for a way to climb the 300 ft. spire over Times Square. My unstable vision became worse with every hit from the sub zero winds. I cramped as I began the climb, my leg locking up, unmovable from lack of sleep and water. I fell to the metal floor, my brother dry heaving next to me as our hearts beat in unison. I climbed the spire that night, slowly ascending higher and higher. My hands and feet numb against the metal, wind gusts threatening to take my life every so often. This was a war against my life, except everything I cared for hung in the balance. I felt on top of the world that evening, the vibrant colors engulfing me as the microscopic cars moved below. I could see you in my mind, your eyes hitting me harder than any pill. This moment was for you, war against everything that died the night we danced on broken glass for the final time. I took the first step away, and it was hell, but she did look back, and for that I will always love her. I settled into bliss above New York City, the air leaving my lungs as I forced the memory from my conscience. I could never begin to explain the way I felt as my mind slowly slipped that night. I walked away from the blinding lights, but this time I didn't turn back.
February 24th, 2023
There are days when I wake up and can’t separate dreams from reality. The long nights spent with strangers. Nights that turned into early mornings and strangers that turned into brothers. 9:00 PM rolled around and I was exhausted after walking for hours. Next to me Erik had fallen asleep, his body awkwardly nested into the crooked stairs inside 70 Pine St. It was my turn to stand watch. We had been in the building for nearly 4 hours and we still had nearly 10 hours left before we could make the move. Every so often a door would open above, chills blasting down my spine as my heart rate increased. Each time we would slowly backtrack and hunker down until the silence crept back in. It was now 4:00 AM. The noise in the penthouse had ceased and it was now or never. We began to climb the remaining 40 flights of stairs, knowing that the kitchen staff would arrive shortly behind us. Atlas we reached the top. I looked to Erik, a man whom I had just met less than 14 hours ago. It was decided. As I crossed under the camera, I knew it was now or never. We sprinted up the remaining 10 flights, barreling through door after door. Emerging into the cold, we began to climb the 950 ft spire over Wall Street. When the sun began to peek over the horizon, we had the world in the palm of our hand. I felt the cold breeze kiss the back of my throat as I leaned over to capture the moment. Below us, Wall Street was just beginning to churn with noises of people hustling to work. As the crooked people of Wall Street buttoned their shirts and ironed their slacks, I gazed down upon their beautiful view and smiled.
Kansas City, KS
Wichita , KS
Is it wrong that I don't want the world to end yet?
Does it make me a coward to shy away from death?
Is it wrong to fear leaving with an unfulfilled regret?
I long to see the sunrise paint the skies,
To see the moon reflect against your eyes,
To find love, lose it, and find it once again,
As if my story pauses, just as we begin.
I dream to watch my brother’s stories unfold,
To watch as our names are carved to stone,
As the sun casts its final rays, a golden throne.
Is it wrong to fear the world?
To experience life through a child's eye?
With time innocence begins to fade,
But within each heart, a child remains.
So again, I dream of better days,
To love you once again, as my final mistake.
To endure the loss of everything,
In hopes of a world unfurled.
I fear not death, but a world unfulfilled.
Chicago, IL
January 4th, 2024
Hey Clement, it’s Clem. It's 2024 now, and we're almost grown up, buddy. You can finally relax; we're almost there. A lot has changed in the last five years. Remember that gun you tried to hide from Mom and Dad? Well, they found it and saved your life that night. Remember that camera you could never afford, or that dream van you longed to travel in? We've got it now, and it's fucking sick. I wish you could meet the people I have and experience the cities you loved. I know you'd be proud of me.
I’m sorry you're hurting, I’m sorry you're lonely, and I’m sorry your parents won't listen to your outlandish dreams. I wish you had believed in yourself just a little more. You never gave up lifting; it actually paid for your college and kept you off the streets. You became the artist you always dreamed of, and lots of people buy your work. Remember those kids who used to think you were weird? They come up to me weekly and tell me how cool my work is, and how they wish they could afford to travel. You never grew up, remaining a kid at heart, and in the end there was nothing to fear after all. Perhaps, a decade from now, as the pain diminishes, you'll come to realize that life is worth fighting for.
Until the end, Clem
1/1/2024
St. Louis, MO
Houston, TX
August 8th, 2023
It was a cool spring evening in Houston, the kind that puts even the most distressed mind at ease. I watched as the locals prepared to close their shops and go home for the evening, each just a passerby in my life. They remained in the background, each holding a story as vivid and complex as mine, one that will remain forever a mystery to me. I stopped to take a seat and rest outside one of the buildings. I'm hit with intense nostalgia as I look up to see the first building I climbed years ago standing in front of me. I can feel it, the feeling I pray every fucking day that I wont forget. The kind of feeling that only the artist knows, the kind that brings vivid memories and inspiration back. My story was much different back then, it was just the beginning.
It was March 2021, I had driven through the night in hopes of exploring and seeing the world. It was a cold spring morning in Houston Texas. The cool air ruffled my hair as I slammed the door on my Subaru, the noise echoing through the parking garage. I was twelve hours from home, alone and nervous but hopeful as I waited for the sunrise. I still remember the feeling, almost as if a switch was flipped inside me. As I stepped out onto that roof I was free, a thousand miles from home. The only person who knew of my whereabouts was the artist who took a chance to meet me. I remember the second I hit the street again I was changed, forever clinging to the golden rays of the morning.
Two years later I found myself in the same city, but this time I was living my story. I watched as the clouds slowly drifted across the skyline in front of me. I observed the city move below me enjoying the freedom I gained under the stars. One day, without warning the memories will begin to fade, just as an old photograph does. I cling to the feeling, attempting to lock it away forever, knowing that one day I will wake up and the colors will be duller, the goosebumps gone. The one thing that remains forever is the story. My story will outlive me.
Dallas, TX
Austin, TX
April 18th, 2023
It was 4:00 AM and I hadn’t slept in close to 48 hours. I splashed some water on my dust-ridden face in an attempt to cure my blurry vision as I paced the fence surrounding the site. We had tried and failed once already, and soon workers would arrive if we didn’t push our luck. I watched as 4:30 AM then 5:00 AM slowly rolled around. It was now or never. I threw myself over the fence just one block away from an unsuspecting city worker starting his day. Drenched in sweat I started the climb, tiptoeing up nearly 70 flights of stairs fighting to catch the morning light. As I approached the 60th floor, sunlight began to pour into the stairwell, giving me more motivation than ever to reach the top. I stepped out onto the crane, and suddenly my blurry vision faded as my soul was set at peace. I sat for a second and embraced the moment, nearly 950 ft. above Austin Texas. Moments like this remind me why I started. Moments like this make all the sacrifice, pain, and debt worth it.
San Fran, CA
June 6th 2023 - 3:00 AM
Our first day in San Fran had us exhausted and Dave and I decided it was time to get some rest. We found a secluded building and settled in under the AC unit on the roof. We had been coming here the past few nights with little to no trouble, a nice getaway from the hectic streets below. The sky is beautiful tonight, I wish you were here to enjoy it with me. I attempted to sleep again but found no success, I never was one to sleep early on a trip. Dave snored next to me as I poked my head out and dreamed, while plotting tommorow’s mission. We had tried Salesforce that morning to no avail. As funny as it sounds, we got close. So close I could taste it. Imagine, two kids from Kansas and Denver riding freight over a thousand miles and walking directly into Salesforce tower the first day off the train. Dave rolled over against the cold brick next to me wrinkling his cheap polo that we bought when we first arrived. This morning had me excited, even if we had barely escaped. After bouncing some ideas off Felix I threw together a plan and went to bed excited for the morning.
June 5th, 2023
(Recollection of the prior attempt)
We scanned our IDs at the door and confidently made our way through the maze of a building, ignoring the misleading information from other explorers. We entered a busy mechanical room but with no success we decided to leave. On the way out we were cornered by security and decided to impersonate a worker on the roof, with some quick thinking I confidently walked towards the first door I saw. To my surprise the closet I reached for was unlocked and we quickly darted into it as he asked if we were supposed to be there. Unfortunately it was only unlocked one way and we ended up trapped inside it. Eventually we were able to tiptoe out and escape the building, tired and slightly annoyed. June 6th 2023, 9:00 AM — partial journal entry I needed this spot more than anything, and Dave was willing to risk everything. The next morning we went back, with a completely different mindset, I was ready to die for this spot and nothing would stand in my path.
June 6th 2023 - 9:00 AM
(Partial journal entry)
I needed this spot more than anything, and Dave was willing to risk everything. The next morning we went back, with a completely different mindset, I was ready to die for this spot and nothing would stand in my path. There’s a certain place I take myself, lost in my emotions when I become hyper fixated upon a spot. Almost as if a feeling deep down was drawing me, luring me. I’ve learned there was no fighting this, I needed to risk going back or I would never forgive myself. With little luck and impeccable timing we were able to access the roof undetected. The morning fog still lingered against the horizon as we hastily took our photos, praying that we timed it correctly to avoid the hourly CCTV footage audits. For a moment the world was ours, and my heart was truly full.
Las Vegas, NV
Climbing The Eiffel Tower: A Vegas Icon
Only 2 groups I knew about had got this spot clean prior to me. After nearly 3 days of preparation I was confident. It took close to 6 hours for us to navigate the maze of a building, waiting and cautiously transferring through over 4 different stairwells. Quietly we opened door after door, pausing to listen for employees. As we reached the top, we checked the timing and had just a few hours to pick and replace the lock, before the observation deck employees would begin their day. It was the night after Formula 1 and the once crowded streets were now vacant. I found myself alone, just me and the open air.
Denver, CO
October 3rd, 2023
When I was a child I looked up to my father, taking each word spoken to heart. I could sense a hit of regret the night he told me, "Life moves fast, and it's hard to truly savor its beauty and as you get older the days become years.” The special thing about youth is the innocence of it, each day a new experience accompanied by a great world filled with opportunity. There was a portion of my childhood I lost to this, shying away from risk, the way a child fears their first dip in the summer pool. My eyes were blurry growing up, I can remember it, every morning a struggle. I fought back blurred vision as I tried to find meaning, repeating the same mindless tasks time and again. Tonight I am miles away from home, entirely alone. I discover myself anchored above the vacant seats, the very seats individuals utilize in an attempt to escape reality, if only for a brief moment. The clouds opened up engulfing me. The cold drizzle and wind make me feel alive. My eyes sharp, my mind full of pent up anger. When was the last time you sat down alone, allowing yourself to strike blows against the walls society has rooted so deeply within your soul. When was the last time you heard yourself? It had been years since I had heard Clement speak. The phrase “life moves fast” is a lie, told by those who fail to fully embrace existence, who neglect to pause and watch the world unfold around them. Remember those weeks you spent at work? The months you sat twiddling your thumbs, brainstorming ways to pass the time quicker? Now remember that trip, that once in a lifetime experience you took with the family last summer. Ask yourself which memory comes back clearer. Imagine how you would feel if every day were a new beginning, filled with sensation, and experience. I’ve found life moves pretty damn fast, but the more trips I take, and the more grounded I become it appears that the people around me are in a far greater rush than I am. Life is beautiful, you are beautiful.
New Orleans, LA