3,858 feet above sea level Sunday, I was asked what one of my most obvious “life moments” was-a moment where I felt fully invigorated and alive. I considered this for a moment, and was sadly left searching for a proper answer. Sure, I’ve been white water rafting, I’ve witnessed the birth of a child, I’ve lain on a beach and watched a meteor shower, I’ve sat on an old bench under a twinkling Eiffel Tower…but none really fit the profile of an event that caused me to feel alive. This has to change. I am 21 years old, and the world is completely open to me. There are so many things I want to do, and I am determined not to let anything hold me down. It’s ridiculous to me that I have not traveled far off of the east coast (besides Paris), that I haven’t taken part in more adventuresome activities. Each person on this earth has just one life, and I intend to live mine to the fullest possible extent.
Grabbing life by the…horns…helps when you have people in your life who encourage you to do so. At this time, I have a nice handful, made up of family members as well as a few friends. One of these friends, TB, has inspired me more in this regard than anyone ever really has. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.
Sunday morning, TB and I met halfway between his area of Canada and my little town in Vermont at a mountain called Jay Peak. We started up, and I must say that I was a bit nervous at times. We went through mud, snow (very little…but it was there!), broken bridges, unsteady rocks, streams, and near vertical climbs at times. I remarked that I didn’t expect it to be so steep, and TB laughed and sarcastically responded that we’d definitely choose a “shallow mountain next time…you know, one of those flat mountains.” Touché, TB, touché.
I was very invigorated upon our arrival at the top. I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to do such a strenuous workout even just a few months ago, so it felt like an accomplishment. TB took out a spread of the largest amount of food I have ever seen on a picnic. In his smallish pack, he had: rotisserie chicken, rice, ham, prosciutto, pepperoni, swiss, cheddar, blue, and mozzarella cheeses, salad, fruit salad, bread, pate, champagne, ceramic plates, ikea silverware, freshly-bought Jay Peak glasses, and cloth napkins. This man went all out, I’m telling you. It was pretty amazing to seemingly sit on top of the world enjoying an incredible picnic with TB.
Later, we walked back down the mountain-harder than it looks, really. I have surprisingly bad knees, so the locking of the joints as I attempted to walk down slowly was murdering them. I ended up walking backwards at times, but slipped and half-fell on a mud slick that a certain British man failed to warn me about… (kidding) (but not really) (alright, I’m kidding). At the bottom of the mountain, we found a large patch of semi-powdery ice/snow. Of course, we had a big snowball fight…though I would venture to call it an attack, as TB insisted on hurling large chunks of ice/snow directly at my face.
At the bottom of “our” mountain, TB and I found a stream of snowmelt and jumped in for a few minutes. It was one of the most refreshing plunges I’ve ever taken, though I didn’t fully submerge myself. I stood in the water, half freezing, half overheated…happier than I’ve been in a very long time.
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After leaving the mountain and returning home, I surveyed the damage. I am bruised in multiple areas of my body. I have so many scratches, it looks like a cat recently took an extreme dislike to me. My bug bites are so abundant that the pharmacist recoiled at the sight and quickly suggested that I see a doctor, as it could easily be poison ivy. All of the muscles in my legs are tight and slightly sore. My legs and arms have a very strange bright red pattern on them, consistent with an odd sunburn. Yet I barely notice any of this, and it is all the very last thing I think about when I think about my adventuresome day with TB.
Life moments? I’d say I just experienced many.
Photo: Taken by TB on top of Jay Peak
I tried hard to think of a reply to this blog, but couldn’t find words so i’m going to borrow a few and babble some others.
A few years ago I was at a junction in life, and at the time was also involved in a big offshore sailing race with a guy who was, to me, a bit of a hero. We went through days of storms and really tough racing, and we talked a lot about the options I had. At the end of the race, he gave me a note with this written on:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
It wasn’t his writing, rather the talant of Mark Twain – but for me (being into sailing and the like) it became a bit of a “life verse”. I think of it every time decisions need to be made, and when it comes to grabbing life by the “horns”, its yet to fail me.
I had a fantastic time on the mountain with you, and I hope we get chance to collect a lot more corks in the near and distant future. It takes a special kind of person to be hit with a huge challenge, pushed to the limits, sweaty, dirty, cut, bruised and tired, and yet still shine like a diamond – like you did.
-TB
those are the things we live for! Thank you so much for posting this—sorry it’s not more original–all I can say is ‘Wow.’
I just want to coment on how priviledged your readers must feel to be a part of this journey with you. I think in some settings we live vicariously through you and in others (the knees) we feel for you.
Great photo.
Dang. TB knows how to pack a serious picnic! 4 different kinds of cheese and pate plus champaign! Bravo. ^_^
Enjoy these life moments and treasure the ability to acknowledge them when they are happening and not only in retrospect! They are so much sweeter when fresh. :-)