Life Starts Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Mala
Last weekend, we went for a long hike to celebrate Tessie’s birthday. It was a hike that Tessie had never done before, and my parents and I hadn’t done in a long time. We had to go to Boulder so Mom could drop off more of Ella’s book, Pawsitive Perspectives, at the bookstore. She suggested we do a hike in the area. After all, Boulder County was our old stomping grounds.
When I was young, Ella and I both had the county’s Voice and Sight tags, which allowed us to be off-leash on certain trails in the area. We loved the freedom to go at our own pace and stop to sniff whenever we wanted. After moving to Evergreen, Mom stopped renewing our tags since we hardly spent time in Boulder anymore.
Bear Peak is a hike we haven’t often done, but each time we do, we are reminded of just how challenging it is. Our original plan was to hike out and back the same way from NCAR, which would have been about five and a half miles. In the end, we went up the backside of the mountain, which was longer, and down the steep side. The hike turned out to be over eight miles, and we gained 3,000+ feet in elevation. The wind whipped at the top, and we encountered snow and ice while descending the steep rocks.
Mom and I were both anxious about the treacherous conditions, but we persevered and made it back to the car without any injuries. Mom’s knees were sore, and I was quite tired. Tessie, while a bit worn out, was still eager to strut to the gelato shop in downtown Boulder for a birthday pup cup. We even got to visit the bookstore to see Ella’s books on the shelf.
All four of us felt a sense of accomplishment for pushing the limits of our comfort zones during the hike. Challenging yourself enables you to grow and broaden your horizons. Mom found a David Bowie quote that captures this sentiment perfectly: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting."
We’re heading out on a road trip tomorrow, so you won’t see a post from us next week. But stay tuned, as we’ll be back the following Friday to share all about our getaway!