Coming down from the summit of Huayna Picchu, wet vertical stairs were traversed on our butts, holding each muddy stepping stone with our bare hands for Dear Life, leaning on the Mountain with one shoulder, trying not to look down on the other side. Occasionally, there was the odd metal cable, anchored into the mountain to give a hand hold for the faint of heart, but not often enough.
After five and a half hours of circling up and descending, we reached the bottom. The seat of my jeans were black with mud. Two receipts in my back pocket had been ground to wet paper mush. My legs still shook a little when I walked. We understood why people kiss the ground. We were glad to be alive, no broken bones, no missing people. Life was good. After this, other obstacles paled. On the next day, I thought I was Superwoman, sore back and legs notwithstanding. I knew what I was capable of and had discovered things about myself that I didn’t know before. A wealth of new lessons were learned in a day.
After five and a half hours of circling up and descending, we reached the bottom. The seat of my jeans were black with mud. Two receipts in my back pocket had been ground to wet paper mush. My legs still shook a little when I walked. We understood why people kiss the ground. We were glad to be alive, no broken bones, no missing people. Life was good. After this, other obstacles paled. On the next day, I thought I was Superwoman, sore back and legs notwithstanding. I knew what I was capable of and had discovered things about myself that I didn’t know before. A wealth of new lessons were learned in a day.
| I learned that I’m not as young, or as old, as I think I am. I must be more intentional about taking better care of my body if I expect to continue on to other great adventures. Most problems seem smaller from a distance. It’s important to step back sometimes, or rise above the things that weigh you down. Perspective is more meaningful when you can see the surroundings of a thing. If you freeze in fear, you can’t finish the journey. Focus on the steps, not the edge. Find and listen to encouraging, experienced people who have made the journey successfully before. Do what they say. The journey does not end at the proverbial “top of the mountain.” It also includes your ability to continue on to the next great summit of success, which may indeed take you back to the place you started, changed and better able to assist those who are still traveling to where you’ve been. This is equally worthy of celebration. |     |
Before I started, I could only imagine the spectacular view from the highest peak, and the beautiful path at the bottom leading there. Had I known what it took to traverse the terrain, I would not have chosen the path I did. But now that I have, I understand that the Journey is where your life takes place and changes continually as you apply the lessons that can only be learned by climbing a Mountain.
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