The way to Everest in not a Yellow Brick Road.”  –Jon Krakauer

I am a list maker. I make lists before I go on vacation. My vacation lists have lists – what to pack, what souvenirs to purchase, what to see, what I can leave behind if there’s not room in my suitcase, and foods I have to try. There is even a list of emergency plans for just-in-case.  I make lists for what needs to be done at work. I secretly like to make lists for other people. I do that when I think they aren’t organized enough. My Bucket List even has lists.  I love my Bucket List (all three pages of it). A lot of careful planning has gone into the contents of my list. Not because I am trying to check things off so I can die. I just want to make sure I experience all that life has to offer. There is a natural curiosity inside of me. I want to see everything, go everywhere, and know everything. Some of the items are easier than others. Singing karaoke in front of a crowd isn’t too terribly difficult, but it’s on my list. It’s there because singing in public is not really who I am, so it’s a stretch for me to get up and sing. Plus, I can’t sing. I am tone-deaf. Of course, I don’t care that I can’t sing. I just want to do it.

Other things on my list include travel and lots of it. I want to see the world. I want to step foot on EVERY single continent. I want to see historical sites, try new foods, observe the locals in their home. I want to pick up a few foreign phrases, barter at the market, picnic while watching the Northern Lights. Some items are harder and will take careful planning. Since I am a planner, that won’t be hard. One item that is on the list is the Appalachian Trail. At first, I just said I would be happy spending the night on the trail. I thought a lot about the Trail and what it means to so many. Now, I want to hike the entire trail from start to finish, Georgia to Maine. I have no idea how or when I will do it, but it will get done.  By far, that will be the hardest thing for me to complete. I don’t really care that it’s hard. I just want to do it. I need to accomplish something that to most seems impossible. Heck, it seems impossible to me, but I will do it. I need a challenge in my life.

Not long ago, I read a book, No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits. Jordan Romero is the youngest person to summit the highest mountain on each continent. My goals are not that lofty. I’m happy with the AT. I did feel inspired in his book when he said that people need to find their Everest. Find what challenges you and go for it. Because I am fond of hashtags, I am adopting #FindYourEverest as one of mine. I want to be challenged. I don’t want to take the easy way (not all the time); I want to have meaning in my life.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail will not be the only #FindYourEverest challenge for me. There will be others.  Still pondering…

Whatever the new challenges are, rest assured I won’t quit. Quitting means no more list making. Half the fun of doing something is making the corresponding list. Cue “Gonna Fly Now“…

That’s the Philadelphia Museum of Art behind me!

The City of Brotherly Love in the background.

Yes, I made it to the top of the “Rocky” steps. Not an easy task, but I completed it.