Goodbye Colorado

Despite my eagerness to continue hiking the Colorado Trail, Roxy's health has brought an end to our hiking days. My heart pines for the mountains, but Roxy is in such bad shape that I can't justify staying in Colorado. So with a heavy heart we have begun the long drive back to Indiana.

Leaving the life I love always drags me down, so as the mountains fade in my rear view mirror, I'm focusing on new goals. Without a sense of purpose, I struggle to feel much fulfillment. Just living is not enough for me; I need to be constantly surpassing my own expectations. If I don't learn something new or push myself physically, I fall into a dark spiral of depression.

In the mountains every day is a literal uphill climb that leads to discovery and a profound sense of achievement. Indiana doesn't exactly offer up this sort of daily challenge. It is way too easy to just exist without doing anything meaningful with your life.

Luckily I now get to come home to a job that encourages innovation and growth. Knowing that pushing myself and striving for excellence is actually acknowledged and rewarded, makes me seek out opportunities for professional development. I love working hard, physically, academically, and professionally, but I also need to see results from my efforts. Instead of climbing literal peaks, I'll be seeking out metaphorical mountains to overcome. Although I only worked at my current position for a few months before leaving for Colorado, I immediately recognized the culture of excellence nurtured by my supervisors and coworkers. I am so incredibly thankful to be working with such an outstanding team of like-minded individuals. No one is satisfied with just doing the bare minimum. Instead everyone genuinely cares about their personal impact and is continually pushing for improvement. This sort of challenging atmosphere is exactly the type of environment in which I thrive.

In addition to a stimulating and rewarding career, I've also committed to a physical goal: running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. I've run two marathons before. Having another one to work toward is a great way to keep me moving and motivated. It's hard to sit around and dwell on the fact that I'm in Indiana, when I know I have to be working to better myself.

This hike has given me a new perspective about myself. When I was hiking the Appalachian Trail, I always thought of it as just walking, Something that anybody could do. I didn't consider what I was doing special or profoundly difficult in any way. However hiking in Colorado with a friend has shown me that through hiking is not for everyone. For me hiking is the easy part of life. I have a new challenge everyday and I can work hard to achieve it. Every day gives me a sense of accomplishment and something to be happy about. I enjoy feeling the physical strain of knowing I have worked toward a goal. I love the solitude and isolation that allows me to focus on personal goals and achievements. There is nothing I would rather be doing than working hard everyday and being able to feel successful when I lay down in my tent. The harder the terrain and weather is the more  enjoyment I get out of completing the day's hike . Apparently not everyone gets the same satisfaction from just walking in the woods, but for me there is no better way to live.