The Hills Are Alive!

It seems that ever since my last post complete with pics of scenic Alpine views, many of you have had the same urge as I've had to go running through mountain meadows belting out songs from the The Sound of Music.  Well folks, just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to check off another hike from my bucket list and this particular hike provided a good warm-up to fulfilling that wish.  It also gave way for some great life metaphors that so often come with mountain climbing and hiking, so I'm happy to share both with you.

 

Meet Dog Mountain.  This quintessential hike in the Columbia River Gorge is 7.5 miles long and is known for it's unparalleled views and butt-kicking uphill climbs.  My go-to adventure team comprising of my good friend, her older children along with mine, decided to make it our official first day of summer celebration. (Sleeping in is for sissies though the brood reconsidered about half-way up the trail.)  Here are a few of the thoughts that I had while hiking.

1. Everything is better when shared with a friend.

Or in their case, misery loves company.  Despite the unexpected rain and biting wind encountered all the way to the top, being together was a motivator and a happy distraction. 

How true for our adventures in life as well.  The lowest lows are made more tolerable with friends by your side and the highest highs are that much more satisfying when shared with others.

Put yourself out there and risk opening yourself to deep friendships.

Cooper matching his surroundings.

2.  In the thick of things, you may lose sight of the top, but until it comes into view again, don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

We purposely chose this hike for the amazing views that it promised and for the satisfaction that our children would get from seeing just how high they could climb.  The fog that enshrouded the mountain that morning completely obscured the view.  Completely.  We came to terms with the disappointment and did our best to take notice of the things around us that we could see: those details right in front of us that may have been missed had we been able to look down into the open expanse of the gorge.

Wildflowers bloom in one huge, lush carpet on that mountain side.  We took stock of each hue along the way instead of focusing on all that we could not see.  So do yourself a favor, when you lose sight of your goal or dream and life seems to be a thick fog around you, stop and smell the roses.  Focus on the good that is around you.  There are always good things to be found.  Always.

When the going gets tough, sometimes you just want to lie down.

3.  Never, never, never give up!

The younger crew had a few rough moments, I won't lie.  Tears shed and lack of enthusiasm for the experience in general, started to creep in.  When we asked Max how he had liked the hike so far, he had been laying face down on this rock and gave us the "thumbs down" sign.  It was hard and cold and wet.  We felt for him, but it made the rest of us have a good laugh knowing that at some point, we would forget all about the misery and only be left with the good memories.  Sure enough, by the end of the hike and back at the car, the thumbs down was turned right-side up with smiles all around.

Never give up.  Things will eventually get better and like so many of life's challenges, a little distance under your feet is a good thing.  Several times, as the younger boys got tired, they threatened quitting.  This happened often when we were so close to the top.  If they had given up, all of their efforts would have been in vain and they would have left unhappy and unsatisfied.  Pushing through that last hard stretch took (and developed more) mental toughness that we knew would pay off in big ways later on.

How true for us in life as well.  So often we want to lie down in life's metaphorical road and give up, throw the towel in and call it quits.  The only thing this accomplishes is in making us bitter and not better.

When it's others around you who are struggling, you have two tactics to choose from to help them along--sometimes you stick right by them and cheer them on and other times you just have to go on ahead, leading by example, with hope and faith that they will eventually follow.  It works wonders with struggling hiking buddies too!

Happiness is proving to yourself that you can do hard things.

4. You can do hard things!

Yes you can, but you don't know it until you try.  You'll never feel more alive and a greater sense of satisfaction and self-confidence than when you challenge yourself.

Prepare the best that you can, gather the right tools, and surround yourself with others that will be willing to support you in your efforts and you'll be armed with everything that you need to succeed.

Doing hard things and getting outside of your comfort zone takes real raw courage, but once you've made a habit of living courageously, the sky's the limit!

The Columbia River Gorge is GORGEOUS!

5.  Time spent in holy places will help you see the big picture.

I love how in cultures and religions the world over, mountains are equated to holy places.  In the mountains, you're away from worldly distractions.  You are face to face with God's creations.  You are high enough that once at the top, you can look back and see the big picture.

This gorgeous scene, as with our lives, is comprised of challenging territories. When looked upon from a higher vantage point which requires a higher spiritual perspective when it comes to daily living--those hard climbs, slippery slopes, thorny brush encounters that took most of our focus while hiking up, fade away as we summit and look back to see the beautiful tapestry below.  Find those holy places and keep climbing.  Those views are worth it.  (And wouldn't ya know it, but as we turned around to go back down the mountain, this scene literally appeared before us.  The fog blew away within seconds!!)

My own little piece of Switzerland here in WA.

6.  Dream big and then recognize when those dreams are coming true in unexpected ways.

I love the mountains and would love to see the Swiss Alps someday. That dream was inadvertently renewed while hunting for photos for my previous post.  When I came upon this scene while on our hike, I realized that my dream was already being fulfilled.  Doesn't this picture scream "Sound of Music?"  I sure thought so and I didn't even have to travel far to see it! 

God is good and generous with helping us to fulfill wants and dreams.  Sometimes they just don't come packaged and delivered in the ways and timing that we planned or expected.  (And that's not to say that I won't ever see the Alps!)  The bigger blessings come more readily when we practice recognizing the smaller ways in which He does already give us views of our "Alps."

Good friends+good memories=happy people

7. Make memories together.

How much easier would it have been for me and my friend to have done this hike solo last week?  Taking the family takes extra work and often some extra patience.  But...taking the time to plan and make purposeful memories is what drives us in our roles as moms.

It's during these times that we can share those things that matter most to us with our family.  It's where they can see us really happy and joyful.  It allows for sneaking in teaching moments that they would otherwise roll eyes and zone out in.

It's a time for creating a legacy for them to remember you by.  Memory-making is creating a life and not just passively experiencing it. Make plans, take pictures and then take the time to relive those memories.  It's all three components that create the best adventures!  So get out there and make it happen whatever it is that really matters to you.  And if you happen to be hanging out in the Alps someday, be looking for me because I'd love to go skipping with you hand in hand belting out, "The hills are alive..."

See you at the next adventure!

~Arianna