Changes

We all have had a day that we know changed the course of our lives. For me, there is one that has been floating around my mind recently. It was a typical early spring day in the Smokies. Moments of intense sun mixed with moments of cold rain. The type of day that has you racing to put your rain gear on only to find that your are sweating your buns off ten minutes later. The rain continued to move in and out until it became pointless to put your rain gear on.

We awoke early to complete what then just seemed like a trail. It was a trail that I had completed by myself a few years before. The trail runs past Ash cave and eventually ends at Mt. LeConte. It is a 12 mile hike round trip, which is a steep continuous climb. It is a pretty difficult walk.

Anyways, I was there with the Boss. A woman that I knew on the surface, hoping the trail would pull out what was inside. The trail did not let me down. It lifted the façade that we all put on the outside and let both of us see what was inside. Tough, quite trails can do this. As you appreciate your surroundings, and continue to conquer each new challenge, feeling as though you are challenging Mother Nature herself. I watched this quiet, sarcastic, dare I say abrasive woman, conquer the trail. She trampled her fear of heights, she conquered her fear of being what feels like nowhere, she conquered her exhaustion. Throughout the hike she maintained her quiet nature.

It was on this hike that I saw in her what I have always wanted - a woman to walk by my side. Since then we have continued to conquer the world, it is just the challenges have changed. Balancing work, living with each other, saving money…

Here is my hope. I hope that this summer the Boss and I change our lives in a way that will let us go out and conquer the world we once knew. The challenge is only fitness and confidence. I should not say only, it is just something we can fix.

To my sister and brother-in-law, I hope you make the journey with us… Maggie would love the view.