The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.
-John Muir
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| Lion Head 3/4/12 |
March 4 marks a very unique day in my life. If you have been following my blog since I started you will know why. If you have not you're about to learn. I briefly blogged about my first ever ascent of Mount Washington. It was a complete life changer for me.
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| 3/4/12 Summit Stairs |
Three years ago, I was just coming out of one of the most unhealthy relationships I had ever been in. I was learning more and more about myself and how I needed to improve me. I spent 8 months in therapy trying to fix everything about myself I didn't like. It was probably one of the hardest things I had to ever face. There was one thing my therapist told me almost 4 years ago now that has stuck with me and was a huge inspiration to me. She said to me "Samantha, you must stop relying on others to be there and to always do the things you want to, you must learn to be independent."
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| The Steeps - Lion Head Winter Route |
Here I thought I was independent, I had gone to college and worked since I was 13, I had moved across the country and back, paid my own bills since my first pager and cell phone, paid for my own apartment, and health insurance, and moved back across the country again to Boston, not to mention I was again living on my own paying all my bills and working hard. I thought I was independent. I thought my mother taught me well enough not to rely on anyone else. But, in therapy what I thought I was, wasn't the truth. My therapist was right. I did rely on others way to much to make me happy.
I had set just 2 goals for the year to come for myself. I set these goals with my comfort zone in mind. I made sure they were goals that would force me to step out of my comfort zone and that were ones that were a given for me to accomplish. One was to hike Mount Washington that summer. I was a hiker, just had never been to the top of MW. A couple weeks later while doing research I decided to book myself a guided trip with the Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School to ascend Mount Washington, in winter. Not only did I do that, but I booked myself a 2 night stay in a hotel for the climb here in North Conway. I had never and would have never thought about staying in a hotel by myself, or climb MW in the winter. These 2 things just seemed incredibly scary to me, but so exciting at the same time.
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| Hikers on MW 3/4/12 |
March 3, 2012 came around and I was packing my car with all my gear and hit the road north. I arrived in North Conway late afternoon. Looking for a place to get a good dinner in before my big climb, a friend recommended Flatbread. Here I did something again, I would never have thought of doing. I sat at the bar, ordered a pizza and a drink, and then dessert. By myself. I felt great, a little uncomfortable at first, but great.
March 4, 2012 it was 6:00am and my alarm was going off. I barely slept because I was excited and nervous at the same time. I packed up my gear and was at the climbing school right on time. We all piled into one car and carpooled to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. We hit the trail and pushed forward. This was my first time learning how to use an ice axe, or when walking the different techniques, like the French Technique. I learned so much on this day. A learned so much about winter hiking, mountaineering, climbing, and mostly about myself.
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| First ever summit of MW |
If I had never just took a step out of my comfort zone, I wouldn't be where I am today. I thought I was stepping out of my comfort zone for just the hike and hotel, but in reality it opened up doors I would never have even thought about. This experience help mold me into the person I am today, and encouraged me to have a passion for the things I love. I fell in love with the outdoors, and hiking more than I thought I was already. I couldn't wait to learn more and more information about it all. I was ready to start learning from all of my mistakes, start investing slowly in better gear.
About a month later, I landed a job working for the Mount Washington Observatory, a week on (the summit) a week off. That fall I put in my application for Adroscoggin Valley Search and Rescue and had my shake down hike that November. I have put all of my skills and knowledge to the test, I have stepped out of my comfort zone more often than not in the last 3 years and it has done nothing but open more and more doors and opportunities for me. I put effort into going to local gatherings for all Search and Rescue Teams to meet new people, I have stopped in to say hello to the Snow Rangers on MW when I am skiing the Sherbie, I have tried to help anyone else or introduce friends to others to get them started on S&R teams. I have led many friends up mountains, first time winter hikers, friends who were first time hikers on Mount Washington.
I most recently landed the coolest job next to working at the OBS, with Backpacker Magazine. I couldn't believe I not just worked for a magazine, but my picture was in it. I spent 5 months traveling the country, exploring and educating others on how to get outside safely and comfortably.
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| Myself & Mike on MW |
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| First Ski on MW |
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| First Spring hike of MW. |
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| Mike & Myself on Lion Head |
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| Coming up the steeps. |
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| Steeps again. |
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| Ray & KB's first ever Ascent of MW |
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| Butt Sledding/ Glisading the summit cone. |
So that my friends is why today marks a really big day in my life. I am so grateful for the friends I have met along the way, the ones who supported me and gave me more strength to believe in myself, family who thought I was nuts but supported me through it all. I am incredibly proud of all my hard work I have put in and will continue to try and do it for as long as I can muster up the energy for.
Like someone once said. . ."When one door closes, another one opens."
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