Some of the most valuable lessons we learn in life can occur in unexpected places.
We often find that the journey to get there is more important than the destination...
We celebrate the highs...
We struggle through the lows... For me, turning forty should've been cause for happiness.
I'd made it another year, through another decade. That's what it was supposed to be, in theory... Instead, I plummeted into major depression and despair. I'd lost sight of my goals, my dreams, and everything that made me stand proud and push forward. My fortieth year was not a good one. There were regrets... Lots of regrets...
There were also a lot of meaningful lessons. A decade later, I feared my fiftieth year of life would bring another low in my life. I wasn't about to let that happen again, though. The Mountains Called...
I answered... I needed an outlet-something to hold my focus. What I didn't know yet was how a seemingly "safe" choice like hiking the forty-eight 4,000-foot peaks of New Hampshire would radically change my outlook on life and help me conquer my inner demons, the baggage I'd carried with me for a lifetime, and how I connected to self and to the world around me. I set out to hike and get away from the world. What I discovered along the way surprised me, made me think, gave voice to feelings, and provided the steppingstones I needed to re-evaluate and assess my life. Initially, I was consumed by loss. By the time I finished the hikes, I gained self-respect, confidence, discipline, and healthy habits that will remain with me for a lifetime. We ALL have mountains to conquer. In the process of climbing them, we find we're just conquering ourselves. We're facing our fears, leaning on hope, building lasting relationships, and removing baggage from our lives. Forward, Upward, Onward is more than an account of my journey; it's my hope it will serve as inspiration for anyone who has ever felt like their problems were too much or ever felt lost or in need of direction or unsure about life and where it will take them.