Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~ Hal Borland
Time flies so quickly and leaves us with another year of exciting experiences and fond memories. After a trying 2017, 2018 was bound to be better and it didn’t disappoint. We had a lot of firsts and celebration last year. I learned to climb in the gym and on real rocks in the outdoors with my son. My husband and I became empty nesters. I checked off almost all items on my to-do list from last year except for the daunting Spartan race. It will require a very rigorous training schedule and I’m still trying to figure out my own strength mentally and physically. However, it’s not completely off the table yet.
I went on quite a few amazing hikes and summit a few mountains. When I was younger, I never pictured myself to be this active at my age and into hiking and climbing. I love the quietness and the serenity of nature and especially enjoy being high up on a mountain.
I am fired up to start this year on the right foot. We began the celebration with a hike up a mountain with our family and friends on New Year’s Eve to welcome 2019. We started this last year and plan on continuing this tradition.
So what’s in store for us this year? Time to set some goals and challenges to keep the fire going. Here’s a shortlist of items that we hope to accomplish.
- We want to stay active and will embark on a 26-hikes year. I’m thinking of starting a spreadsheet and tally the miles and elevations with all the hikes. You can follow our journey on Instagram or my Facebook page (links on the bottom of the page).
- Continue to improve on my climbing. My goal is to be able to set up top ropes to climb outdoors with my son and to introduce climbing to our friends.
- Learn about backpacking and do at least one backpacking trip this year.
Keeping an active lifestyle is not easy regardless of age. It is especially frustrating for me with arthritis setting in and dealing with the constant aches and pain. However, I am determined to beat this and continue to march on. If you are embarking on the same journey, I have a few tips to offer.
- Find friends or family members who have the same interests to join your quests. Make sure to motivate and push each other in the right direction.
- Keep a healthy diet and lifestyle. We are what we eat and keeping a clean diet will go a long way.
- Take time to rest and recharge.
- Most of all, spend time together, go outside and enjoy what nature has to offer.
