Serenity

Almost a year ago I accomplished the most physically exhausting challenge of my life. And I found out I could do so much more. This picture was taken at the top of Mt of the Holy Cross. It is a good 14,005 ft. above sea level.

I was going through a very tough time personally. I needed something for myself. Something that would help me find my way back to myself. I had always wanted to climb a 14er and decided one day to set out the next day and accomplish this challenge. And I did.

At 4am the next day, I woke up and drove to the trailhead at 10,320 ft. At 5am I start the trek to the top. It was serene. The quiet. The trees. The cool, crisp air. The fog. The people. All of it was perfect. The climb to the first ridge was exactly what I was looking for. My soul was being enriched with every single step.

 I met a dad with his son along the way and we decided to hike the rest of it together as we were passing each other anyway.  We talked about life and what it means to connect with the physical world. To actually physically touch our world. The trees. The grass. The rocks. The water. To feel the warmth of the sun. What does that mean for the soul? For my soul? I found out it means a great deal.

Reaching the top was one of the most uplifting feeling I have ever had. The beauty was serene.  And then I had to come back down. This is where the challenge really came in. Coming down was ten times harder than climbing the mountain. One quarter of the way down, my right knee started having a shooting pain with every single step. Every. Single. Step. Pain. Real Pain.

After 9 hours and 12 miles, I made it back to my car. I climbed over 5,000 ft. in those 12 miles. Pain shot through my knee for 5 of those 12 miles. Pain I had not ever felt. I persevered. I continued on. I did it. Me. I love having support in things that I do, but to know that this one was mine was extremely special. When I reached the car, the smile spread wide and did not leave my face until I fell asleep an hour later in my bed.

Serenity.