As I settle into this new place with new goals I find myself tackling a little bit too much a little too quickly. Living a healthier lifestyle, reading more, learning a new language, reconnecting with old friends, finding lasting value in new friends, defining who I am, reestablishing my running, hiking more mountains, and assessing my spirituality are accomplishments I’m striving to see into fruition. Unfortunately, I’m bound by conditions that prevent me from doing everything at once. Change demands time and patience. My time here has been short and my patience is about as effective as the attention span of a new puppy.
Yesterday I spent approximately 8 hours with two of my best friends trying to climb Pikes Peak. Within our 8-hour hike, we experienced a 4,065 ft. elevation chnge in less than 16 miles. Needless to say, I became affected by a moderately severe case of altitude sickness. Being in Colorado for less than 2 weeks, I should have known better than to try to tackle a mountain without giving
myself at least another week to acclimatize to the high elevations. Illness aside, I learned that I could turn back without feeling like a failure. I also learned that people out in the world have the ability to motivate better than anything else I’ve ever seen. I can’t even recall how many people I saw training for the Pikes Peak Descent Race. I saw incredible athletes who weren’t wasting their time in the gym but rather enjoying the outdoors while make monumental progress towards their OWN personal goals! I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N!!! I saw something in Americans that I haven’t taken notice of in quite some time, that is the approachability and friendliness that I witnessed in other countries. It was nice making a friendly greeting and having the same gesture returned.It's nice being back in Colorado!
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