The Day I Climbed a Mountain.

06/17/2017

Sometimes you need to climb a mountain and experience the internal challenges you encounter on the way up. Personally, I think hiking can be a form of self-help. As you read on, you will see what was going through my head on my way up the mountain.



Each day we climb the multiple mountains of our daily lives. Today I climbed Stone Mountain. We don't always know the way to the top, nor do we know the difficulties we will come across on the way up. Some mountains we are able to prepare for but others come with paths we have to make ourselves. We can use our past experiences to help guide us in the right direction but it might not be the same as our other mountains. Before I left for the day, I grabbed my tennis shoes. They weren't just any tennis shoes because I received them from my internship last summer, an experience I believe helped lead me to my current internship. The shoes were trails shoes and had extra traction on the bottom, perfect for my expedition of the day. With the proper shoes, I felt confident for the climb I was about to take.


Having never been to Stone Mountain before, I was taking a risk. It was a risk of not knowing where to go, how to get there, or what exactly it was I wanted to do. I entered the park and drove around until I came across parking for walking or hiking because either one would work for me. I found one and pulled out the map I was given. There were tons of letters, numbers, and symbols. You may think it would solve my problem of not knowing where to go but it was so confusing. In the corner, I noticed they had an app. Of course, I downloaded the app! Hoping it would give me more guidance than the mumbo jumbo map. I had to go to an office to get a special code to access the maps and directions. At this point, I just said screw it, I'll figure it out on my own. So that's what I did.

There were some trails behind the fence I was parked by so I made my way along the fence to find an entrance. After a few minutes, I did find an entrance but it was closed and also for a camp. Some things in life may appear greater than what they actually are. We never know until we give it a try and that's what I did, but I didn't stop there. I looked for another path I could take and sure enough, there were people walking the opposite direction towards something. Why not check it out? Turns out to be the place I was looking for, the trail to the top of the mountain. Paths might not have bright neon lights flashing for us to blindly follow. It takes time and effort to figure out where to go and how to properly pace yourself.



Some things that may cross your mind:
Do I really need a break?
Can I keep on keeping on?
Am I replenishing my body?
Take time to stop and enjoy the view
Don't be afraid to take your shoes off

Once we get to the top we can relax, look at all little things that once seemed much bigger at the moment. Stop. Look around. Those seemingly big things are now minuscules that have helped make us stronger for the rest of the climb. The skyscrapers in Atlanta look like little twigs sticking up from the green but if I were to get closer, I would be able to hear the cars and people talking. There are people everywhere on this earth, which is why it's important to take into account what other people are climbing on a day-to-day basis. We can only know so much about each other and our struggles but there are several ways to help make the climb a little easier. Be kind and make others feel valued, that little push may be what they need to keep climbing.


Eventually, we must climb back down, but before we know it, we find ourselves at the top of another mountain.


Thank you, Stone Mountain, for opening my eyes, my heart, and my mind.


Bring on the next mountain.