Climbing Mountains

     Growing up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, one would think I did more outdoorsy things. Things like hiking. I did not really hike as a child. And I certainly didn't hike while in middle school when puberty was hitting hard. But I have now been hiking 4 times. I believe I did go once as a child, but it is a vague, fuzzy memory that I'm not even sure is legitimate. Anyway, I've hiked Buck Mountain twice, Sleeping Beauty once and a place called Break Neck Ridge once. The most terrifying hike of my life. Buck isn't as hard as Break Neck but it is much harder than Sleeping Beauty.
     I hiked Buck most recently the other day. I did this with my dear running buddies - Melissa and Tim. We did this instead of our usual workout. The hike was much harder, but way more rewarding. There is a quote from Grey's Anatomy about mountain climbing:

They take pictures of the mountain climbers at the top of the mountain. They are smiling, ecstatic, triumphant. They don’t take pictures along the way cause who wants to remember the rest of it? We push ourselves because we have to not because we like it. The relentless climb, the pain and anguish of taking it to the next level – nobody takes pictures of that, nobody wants to remember, we just want to remember the view from the top, the breathtaking moment at the edge of the world. That’s what keeps us climbing and it’s worth the pain, that’s the crazy part. It’s worth anything.

     Now I realize that this quote is referring to legitimate, hard, real mountains. That probably involve life or death situations and actual rock climbing. But I'm a person who is all about the journey. Don't get me wrong. I can see exactly where this quote is coming from. And I do believe that it is right to an extent. Of course we want to take pictures of what we have accomplished and not the struggle and pain it took to get there. We want everyone to see that we made it, that we are hardcore enough to get to the top. But at the same time, it took a lot to get up there. The journey is where you learn things about yourself and the people you are with. You learn how far you can push yourself. Often times harder than you ever think possible. Now I'm not just talking about mountains. I'm talking about life.
     And I love this quote, I want to make that clear. Because it is true. However I do want to remember my journey. I want to remember the people along the way, the hard parts and the easy parts. I want to remember it all. I want to have the journey so I can make it to the top. I need to know where I came from. Every bump is important because it teaches you something. Every time you think you can't make it, but then you do. These are the moments that make the top so much sweeter. They make the accomplishment that much greater. The top is worth everything. But I believe without the journey, the top means nothing.

We made it to the top!

View of Lake George