Have you ever climbed a mountain? You're standing at the base looking up and it seems like you could never, ever possibly make it to the top. You decide, "What the heck! I'll never know unless I try!" So you start that ominous climb. All the way up you might be thinking to yourself, "What have I gotten myself into? I want to give up!" Or maybe you just have someone pushing you. Sometimes that's what it takes.
That picture is from the Cinque terre. It literally means, "five lands". It's five villages along the Italian Riviera that you may take a ferry to each place, you can drive from one place to the next (although it may be more difficult in some areas), or you can hike it. We hiked it. We hiked it when I was pushing 250, or so, lbs. We started at the bottom town, Riomaggiore making our way up to the second to the last town, Vernazza. The boys were about 6 and 9 years old. Of course they're running ahead like it's nothing, and in certain places it's very steep and very seemingly treacherous.
I struggled, but I made it.
I've climbed a couple of other mountains, certainly ones a little higher than the five lands of Cinque terre. I've climbed a part of Pikes Peak, or somewhere up in the Rockies.
I'm climbing one right now, and have finally made it to the top. I never thought I'd make it here. I'm climbing it with a group of people and we're on the downhill side. There are days it still seems like we may never finish this feat.
Nursing school.
We're half way through our third semester and everyday--everyday--is a struggle. The past 8 weeks seem to have gone by fast. (It must be the altitude.) I'm hoping, we're hoping, the time continues to rush by expediently.
Like that day in Italy, when I reached the end of the hike, I know it'll feel good to have accomplished what I thought I'd never accomplish.
It may even feel like we dominated Mount Everest.
