As I've moved through my 20's and come to understand myself better, I've realized a lot of things about I interact best with people, how much alone time I need, how I learn, what I value, etc. In the past 2-3 years, I've also come to realize just how much I value time in the mountains. Not just outdoors, but in the mountains, up at least 4,00o-5,000 feet, where the air smells like pine trees, the seasons are distinct, the sunsets are brighter, mountain lakes hide in the valleys between mountains, creeks roll down over rocks, the stars are clear, and right around 5:30 or 6 each day, a stillness begins to sweep over as the daytime activities wrap up and people head inside. I love it.
Time in the mountains restores my soul in a way that nothing else can. I breath more deeply, see more clearly, and connect with God in a way that I never can in the city. This past weekend, after hiking straight up a black diamond run on a ski slope and watching the sunset, a friend and I remarked about how vistas at the top of mountains and staring up at the night sky help put us in our place. You can't help but feel small while looking up a dark sky filled with stars or looking out over mountain peak after mountain peak.
In my day to day life most hours of the day are driven by an egocentric mindset. It's hard to escape. But for a brief time on Friday night, I marveled at how big the world is and how amazing it is that I get to live, as a tiny being on this earth.
A goal for 2012 is to live a little less centered on self, let go of entitlement, live in thankfulness, offer a little more grace to others. This life is a gift, and I can't take it for granted. Thank you, mountains, for that reminder.
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