Mountaineer Mindset

Adventure is a priority for me. Exploring, being curious, and feeling truly alive. It’s also a value I hope to pass on to my kids.

So this past week I’ve been planning some of the adventures we’ll be going on. Our first time as a family of five. I thought I was just planning one trip, but it turned into a domino effect of needing to practically map out the whole year. Honestly having to write, edit, change, and rewrite plans so many times was a lot of work. But that’s the value I put on these adventures.

Planning these things for three little kids, that’s a whole different ballgame too. My adventurous half knows that comfort isn’t the point, but my paternal half wants everyone to have a safe and smooth experience. And good things happen when they mesh and come to the understanding that comfort and safety are two different things.

I’ve been appreciating the mentality of mountain climbers, lately. Not that I’ve done much myself, but I’d love to once the kids are old enough to let me train. In the meantime I’ve been watching docs like 14 Peaks for the inspiration.

You need to be just a little bit out of your mind to take on something like K2, because the challenge is often absurd. But you also need to be totally sober minded, because if you aren’t it might literally kill you. What a paradox.

But that’s the whole paradox that forms around parenthood and many other parts of life. Keeping each other safe while seeking growth and discomfort. Letting nurture and adventure work together.