Yes, we got married this weekend! The wedding was absolutely perfect and the weekend was better than I ever imagined. I’ll share a photo or two when we get them back from the photographer. Thanks for all of the well wishes!
This past weekend was full of wedded bliss. Along with the matrimony came dozens and dozens of memories, reaching as far back as my childhood. And while I looked through all of these memories, I came across a few photos from college from my first 14er: Mt. Elbert.
It was late 2001 and I was clearly in the peak of high fashion. To hike the highest mountain in the state of Colorado, I wore mid-calf brown hiking boots, black sweatpants from my collegiate dance team, a long sleeved cotton shirt, a blue hoody sweatshirt over top, and a silver beanie with a big star on the front. My daypack was a Jansport backpack that I used on campus at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Pretty sweet, huh?
All Photos By Will Rochfort
But you know what? We made it to the top of Elbert and even enjoyed a snooze in the sunshine at 14,439 feet. I descended just fine too. Clearly, it didn’t matter if we had the most high-tech gear on the market. It was all about the hiking, all about the fun.
Back then, Elbert was a grand adventure. None of us had ever been to that high of altitude and we all doubted whether we would reach the summit. Our clothing was the last thing on our minds.
These days, a non-technical hike like Elbert is merely fun jaunt, something that I’d consider on a Saturday with no other plans. Truthfully, it’s just not enough adventure for the Heather of 33-years-old to consider a “big” day.
So what happened over the past fourteen years? Am I more awesome than I was at age 19? Doubtful. Am I stronger? Maybe, but I’m sure as heck a lot older so that’s debatable.
In reality, my capabilities have expanded as my experience has broadened. And while I appreciate my larger library of knowledge, I look back on my earlier adventure years with some wistful eyes. Once you experience Step A, it’s hard to not want to reach out for Steps B, C and D.
Should we ever want to retrace back to the beginning? Or should we just let history take its natural course?
********************
5 Comments
Great question. There’s a line from a Harry Chapin song that I’ve always liked that goes, “old friends mean so much more to me than a new friend, cause they can see where you are, and the know where you’ve been.” Perhaps we don’t need to retrace so much. Being around an old friend is a way to retrace. Coming across an old photo is too. Knowledge can tell you that without Step A, Step B, C and D would be impossible. We get caught up in the idea that we have control over the course of events, and we do, but there are so many forces at work outside of our knowledge. There are plenty of people who have taken Step A, and crossed it off the bucket list before moving on to a completely different Step B. For you, that mountain seems to be the first step of a lifelong journey of mountains, adventures, hikes, etc. Maybe it was just what you were looking for at the time, and helped to propel you to your twenties. It just as easily could have been a day-trip. Insignificant in the grand scheme.
I don’t know why I got so wistful with this, but it sparked something for me. And, of course, congrats on the wedding!
Hi Heather,
I NEVER look back, always focused on moving ahead stronger and faster than ever before. Actually, I was surprised to read such a Blog post from such a young person. Yes, you are stronger, wiser, and more attuned to your goals and surroundings. Move ahead full-throttle…. “If your not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” (Jim Whittaker)
Sincerely,
Art Huseonica
Sun City, AZ
How great to look back on some of those “early fays” that sparked the adventure passion!
You know, I think I am more awesome now than I was at 19. It sounds kinda weird to say since the parts of me I love best perhaps showed through more at 19 than they do now–I wasn’t worried about being considered loud or brash, I just wanted to be ME. Somewhere between then and now, I started to worry about how certain people perceived me and I got quieter because I was supposed to be more adult. I’m more awesome, however, because I’m more complex. I have more life experience and yet still live as I want to live.
And interestingly, I’m headed up Elbert tomorrow. 🙂
I love this point of view, Beth. I think I was similarly more brash/loud/outgoing and now I’m more complex and actually much more sure of who I am.