The (Metaphorical) Climb

June 13, 2015.

The 14 of us stood at the base of the Tiger Cave Temple and stared up the mountain at the multitude of steps awaiting us to climb. Needless to say, there was a wide range of emotions surging through the group; fear and anxiety, excitement, a very small amount of dread. 

1,260 steps to the top.

Camera in one hand and water bottle in the other, we all began out ascent. Before we even made it a few hundred steps up, our worry began to increase. The steps were practically as tall as my calf!!

Less than halfway up, we were ENTIRELY drenched in sweat. (It was dripping off my nose onto my camera. If we're being honest here...)

Our group had begun to spread out across the steps, with some people pushing through without stopping and others taking time to catch their breath and drink their water.

Kind people who were coming down were incredibly encouraging, reminding us that there wasn't much more to go and that there was water at the top waiting. Oh, and every single person told us that the top was worth every step we would take to get there.

Once we made it to the top, it was another large mix of emotions; exhilaration, joy. I couldn't stop laughing because I couldn't believe what we had just done!

After the entire group made it to the top (and many pictures were taken), Dr. Register sat us all down for her lecture on the mountain, talking about all of the connections we can make between our literal mountain climb and our metaphorical climb through life.

Dr. Register's mountaintop lessons:

• You can always go farther than you think you can.
• Not all stairs are created equal.
• Negative thoughts and words won't help you reach your goal (and will probably bring you down, and others with ya).
• Supporting those around you, and feeling supported by those people, will help you get to the top.
• The only person you should be comparing yourself to when you climb is your previous self, not others.
• Go at your own pace (because it will help you help others)
• Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. (Literally, for the body that carried us to the top of the mountain...)
• Even if your personal journey seems never-ending, there is always an end. And the end result is worth the work you put in. 

I am aware that all of this seems cheesy and cliche in many ways, but all of those phrases really resonated through the group in that moment. And let me tell you, I have NEVER felt as empowered as I did sitting listening to her lecture at the top of the temple.

On a slightly more personal note, the top of that temple is also the closest I've felt to God in a long long time. Maybe the Buddhists have something right in saying that the higher you are the closer you are to Him, who's to say. But after our lecture I wandered up and made an offering to some Buddhas, kneeled down facing the big guy pictured above, and began reciting some Catholic prayers and Bible verses. 

Just another way to express gratitude, and while it may not have been in the most traditional way it certainly felt appropriate for the moment.

Honestly, the descent back down the stairs was much scarier than the ascent due to the changing height of the steps and poor depth perception on my part. 

Plus, it definitely began to monsoon when we still had about 800 steps to go. Did I mention it's the rainy season here? After living my whole life between Texas and Kansas I thought I had seen the rain (insert "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by CCR here), but I've NEVER seen rain like this before. But we were all still on a high of happy endorphins from the climb up and the lecture, so Rayna and Laura and sung our way down with "Singin In The Rain". 

You know what though? It was much more pleasant to be drenched in rain than in sweat like before!

Memories fade over time, but this experience is one thing I hope to never forget.