I am a mountain climber

Apologies about the radio silence. I’ve been on summer vacation in Glacier National Park, Montana. It was amazing!! In order to understand how amazing, you need a little background. 

When I was younger, my parents used to drag me to Maine every single summer for at least a week. The only way they could get me to go without pitching a HUGE fit was to arrange for us to spend a night in Boston before driving all the way up to Acadia National Park. My parents adore this place because there is plenty of hiking, biking, and kayaking, but no bears or snakes. They’re also familiar enough with the area, after repeated visits, to know the good areas to rent a house, the best hikes, and the tastiest restaurants. But I was never much of an outdoorsy girl. I was out of shape so I would huff and puff up the mountain taking a million breaks. I don’t like lobster, mosquitoes always attack me on the trails, and all the views look the same.  

Most of these things are still true. The things about Maine, anyway. 

You can’t really tell, but I am totally pouting sitting on that rock. I hate. My. Life.

So for a while I’ve been pushing my parents to explore other parks, and somehow my dad stumbled across information about Going to the Sun Road in Glacier. He fell in love with the pictures and a trip was finally arranged to a state OTHER than Maine!!! 

Not super vegan

Glacier National Park is huge, and all the hikes are stunningly different. Even just driving through the mountains, the light is always changing with the weather and time of day. I felt like I never laid eyes on the same thing twice, even though we took the same routes frequently. The mosquitoes were still bad, but only in certain places, and since I’m vegetarian I still don’t like lobster, but thankfully Montana’s not big on sea creatures.

It was blessedly easy to find vegan food in and around Glacier, actually. DELICIOUS vegan food. But most importantly, I’m in better shape now, so hiking was actually fun rather than miserable. Because the views at the end of the trail were always new and exciting, I was motivated to keep going, and because of regular trips to the gym, I had the stamina to keep going as well. I was further spurred along by my parents, who seem in complete awe of my new found physical fitness. As I hurtled along, easily keeping pace behind Jonathan, even with a pack on, my parents ambled behind, trading bemused and astonished looks. When I asked my mom if I could carry the pack (for an extra challenge) her jaw dropped. “You WANT the pack?!” she asked. Yes, I do. I am a beast. 

I’ve got a couple points to make with this story. 

1. It is never too late to get in shape. This advice may sound funny coming from a 24 year old, but let me tell you, it is easy to feel pigeon-holed or stuck in a rut at any age. Everyone thought I was a little “house plant,” more suited to the mall than to a rugged mountain ridge. And that is who I’ve always been. Until now. I have transformed myself into a HIKING MONSTER! You can do it too.

See? I’ve got the pack! I’m DOING IT!!

2. Being in shape will help you get more enjoyment out of life. You may not like hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, or whatever right now, if you’re not used to a lot of physical activity. Once you get in the habit and have the conditioning, you may discover new passions. Going for a hike or a walk is now a wonderful way for me to clear my mind, experience nature, and get closer with my family.

Family bonding

Think of all the amazing things you’ll be able to do and enjoy when you reach your fitness goals. And with all your new-found confidence in your body and yourself, who knows what new things you might try? 

My new favorite vacation activity: white water rafting!

3. You do not have to be “skinny” to be fit. I was definitely NOT the thinnest girl on the trail. Old insecurities flared up occasionally, as I wondered if I looked like my old pudgy self, dragging myself up the trail, flushed and dripping sweat. I was probably still flushed and sweaty, but I know that my confidence grew with every hike I conquered. I realized that although I am definitely not ready to be a fitness model or to hold myself up as an ideal physical specimen, I am in better shape than a lot of people who are thinner than me. Don’t be fooled by the number on the scale or your dress size! Use fitness challenges to gauge your progress instead. 

At Aster Park Overlook, after climbing more than 500 feet in less than 3/4 of a mile.

 

 

 

Do you have an outdoorsy vacay planned? What about an outdoorsy staycay? Tell me about it!!