I remember the first time I saw the mountain. It stood towering above the earth, majestic in every way. The snow-capped peak lived a world very different than my own, and I tried to imagine myself standing on top, frigid wind blowing through my coat, eyesight insurmountable. To be able to say I had arrived at the summit- now there was something special! I decided then and there I would climb to the top.
I entered on a trail in the foothills, not quite sure how far the trail went, but ready to attack this path. The first few miles went by like a breeze; the trail was clean, smooth, and ever-increasing in altitude. I passed by some pleasant people on their way down, overjoyed to be so close to returning to their vehicles. The sun shone bright while weightless clouds wisped by quietly. To my left some deer stared at me, completely unafraid, while birds chirped at me from a safe distance. I could not have written a better story than what I was experiencing. My body, my gear, my view- everything was amazing! I felt as if I could do this forever. One thing I did notice, however, was that the peak really didn't seem to be getting any closer.
I continued on through the day, making it through the heat by finding shade in trees. I had plenty of water, and my legs were still working as I expected them to. The trail was winding back and forth more, and the steeper sections were getting steeper. I was still seeing people on the trail, but they were not as friendly as those towards the beginning- they seemed to be a little more focused. Clouds had started to roll in, but I paid them almost no attention; the wind had picked up too. I looked up at the peak, a little closer than before and still beautiful. I wanted simply to reach up and grab it, pull it close, and make it mine. I had full faith in my ability to get there.
Around sundown, I picked a spot nearby the trail to set up my camp for the night. I assembled my tent, sleeping bag, food, and prepared for a great night in the mountains. I was a little disappointed that the clouds were blocking the stars, but worse things could happen. I fell asleep dreaming of another great day of hiking and all-around loving life. Unfortunately, I was disturbed around midnight by a fierce storm coming through the range. The wind howled, rain poured down, and I became scared. My tent started taking in some water because I hadn't properly water-proofed it, and I had to gather all of my belongings into the middle of the tent in an effort to keep it dry. I asked myself it maybe this wasn't right- had I made a big mistake? I spent the rest of the night huddled with my full bag, trying to stay warm and dry.
As it started becoming light out, the rain tapered off and eventually died. I packed up and prepared for another day up; I was not a quitter. As I about to take off, a kind gentleman walked by and offered to hike with me and of course I said yes! I had realized that having somebody else along might not be so bad. We hiked. He was incredibly fit, and his pace pushed me all day, and though I could have asked to slow down, I didn't. As a result, I missed a lot of the sights that I'm sure would have been stunning. I didn't even get a good look at the peak that day- my goal. I hadn't really thought much about my end goal, but instead simply putting one foot in front of the other. Perhaps this wasn't so bad, because my eventual task had been daunting to me the last few days.
After a truly fast day of hiking, we spent another night on the mountain. My friend seemed a little strange to me, and true to his word, when I woke up in the morning, he had taken off- I don't know where exactly he went. So I was alone again. This third day was another great start, but conditions worsened throughout the hike. Soon I found myself getting pelted with cold rain pushed by the wind, and I was starting to slip on the muddy path. I surged on, slipping almost every step. I went up and up and up, turned around a corner, and the trail disappeared. It stopped right there. No sign of it through the trees, up the hill, and no peak visible for directions and guidance. I turned away from the wind and gasped. The trail behind me was washing out and was becoming harder and harder to see. The only way up from here was a scary yet climbable cliff. I couldn't believe my bad luck. I sat down and pouted for awhile. I made up my mind to turn around and head back down- abandoning my goal for now (probably forever as a result). I started to head down the trail, but then I remembered the view of the peak that very first morning- how stunning it stood! I remembered how I had wanted to climb to the top, and it started a fire in my mind and heart; I turned around and surged up the hill to the cliff.
I had forgotten how difficult this was going to be, but right as I started to get some footing, I saw my friend sprinting up the trail! It turns out he too had decided to head home but reignited and tried to catch up to me. Fortunately for both of us, having a helping hand made traversing the cliff quite easy, and as we reach the top, the clouds began to break up and we were treated to the most beautiful sunset either of us had ever seen. Our breath was taken away and we stood there, starstruck. We looked at the clouds glowing pink, the first glimpse of stars coming out of hiding, and at each other. I realized at that moment that it might not be so important whether or not I get to the peak. I can try my hardest, but how could it be possible for a moment such as this to top any view from the peak? I asked my friend if the next day we could walk slower and truly enjoy our walk. He agreed.
So this morning I woke up to the stillness of high-altitude wilderness and stepped out of my tent to be greeted by the sunrise. The head of the mountain still protruded over our heads by a hefty distance, but we did not care. Each day we will try to get as high as we can, but we also want to enjoy the process. These moments cannot ever be returned or taken back, and so we treasure each moment. This will not stop me from looking at that peak every morning and saying "that's where I want to be", because, well...that's where I want to be! Whether I'm alone or with someone else, whether I encounter horrific weather or beautiful sunshine, whether I struggle up the trail or bound effortlessly, it's the journey that's beautiful. I never want to let that go.
I've decided that the mountain shall be named 'adversity'.
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Never give up on your goals, even if things get rough. And NEVER forget to enjoy every step of the way.
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