The Idea Started in February
In February this year I was lucky enough to attend a FedEx® Shipping Integrator Summit. One of their Guest Speakers was a Futurist. His talk was certainly interesting but two of his final points were:
1.) When was the last time you ever just sat there for days and thought without any distractions?
2.) Why do people set mediocre goals?
I thought about those questions and also realized how fast time flies and determined to push myself a little further. A recent business trip in Las Vegas presented a following weekend opportunity for a hike. This was in a place I’ve never been before about four hours away. Not only did I want to see this place (The South Rim of the Grand Canyon) but I wanted to be by myself.
There Will Always Be Opinions
Here are some of the comments before this trip…
Alec – “Are you crazy? You’re not in that kind of shape!” (He was partially true about that even though I started conditioning weeks earlier and was not going to let that bring me down. He was forgiven when I noticed he slipped sunblock 100 and a windbreaker in my luggage.)
BroJo – “Wow, that sounds fun! You may want to spray your nose with saline to keep it from drying out.” Note: You know it’s true that if you want to you can learn something new every day.
Donna – “Kick @^& Girl wish I could be there with you!”
Erich – “You’re going to be just fine. Remember Colorado and Utah?” (He also loaned me his hiking belt and our father’s binoculars.)
Helga – “You’re still my little free spirited girl. Please just be prudent.” (Note: My heart was broken when I saw a flyer on a missing hiker and I pray to God she is found safe.)
My Neighborhood Girls – “Why not just get one of the Jeep or Helicopter Tours, wouldn’t that be easier?”
Keep Moving Forward
Anyway, when I set forth from Las Vegas to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon it started raining like crazy. There were points when I thought, Please God don’t let it rain tomorrow. It took me quite a while to drive there. (Six hours with a break rather than four and a half.)
The next morning, I woke up at 4:00 AM naturally. I put ice in the water bladder of my backpack and packed up with additional water, food and other gear.
Sometimes Things Just Work Out
The hottest it got that day way 69. It sprinkled twice which was actually very pleasant. I hiked about twelve miles and my body hurt like heck for a few days but in a good way. The beauty I saw can never ever be justified in a photograph (These are not great … taken from my phone). On top of it all when I was sitting on the edge looking over the canyons a beautiful Condor flapped back in mid-air right next to me. It felt like forever but he then did a swirly dive and flew away.
When I came back home, of course, I had to deal with the realities both good and bad in my civilized life. However, I felt more empowered because I actually did something that I’ve never done. I highly recommend to each and every one stuck in a rut to push yourself and try something completely new. Your memories of the event will get you through the tough times.
