Highs and lows of the holiday season

 The weather was cold and wet this past weekend. It made it pretty miserable to get out. I really just wanted to wrap up in a blanket and binge Netflix. But I made myself go to the gym on both Saturday and Sunday. The workouts weren't great, but I did do an hour on the treadmill on Saturday and about 600 steps on the Stairmaster and 45 minutes on the treadmill on Sunday. I just wasn't really feeling very energetic. I have promised myself though to get on my mini- stair stepper at home for at least 200 steps every morning after I complete my yoga routine. 

The stress of the holidays, bad weather, and cedar allergies (aka cedar fever) are taking it's toll on me this year. My energy levels have been low. I fall asleep too early because I am so tired and then I don't sleep well for  most of the night. My sleep is broken with dreams, sinus congestion, and sometimes just being wide awake at 3:00 am. I often read for a bit to help re-set my mind or do meditation, but a sound sleep never does return. As much as I enjoy the holiday season, I am looking forward to January and putting it behind me.

Today is December 9th, which means it is exactly 13 months until I retire. The months are passing quickly, but I look forward to January 10th when I can officially say I will be retired in less than a year! Even better will be January 10th, 2026 when I will wake up and know I never have that long drive into work ever again. I can then concentrate on doing only what I dream of doing. So along those lines I did a bit more research into the Inca trail last week and compared the difficulty of doing it in five days instead of the standard four. It is only slightly more expensive and from what I read it does make the trek easier and more doable. So with that in mind I am feeling more confident about going for it. It is too early to book it, but I will start looking into it a bit more seriously now. I am also hoping to do a bit of volunteer work in Cusco for a few weeks before starting the trek. I think since it would just be for such a short time I will look at some of the opportunities to work with animals either at the Cusco Humane Society or the University of Peru Zoo ( not a western style zoo, but a rehab/learning center). I'd be happy at either and would go where I would be most useful. I'm thinking of doing this the end of March or early April 2026. 

Another month in the history book.

 Thanksgiving was last week and Christmas is just over three weeks away. This year has flown by. I am now just over thirteen months to retirement and twenty-one months until I depart for Nepal. I am more confident about my journey there. I know spending nine weeks there working will build my fitness level up to the challenge that the EBC trek will bring. Since I have also decided to hire a private guide I can pace myself and keep it a bit more comfortable. The average group tour takes twelve days, that includes flight departure from Kathmandu to Lukla and return. I will be departing from Salleri and returning there. That will add about four days (2 up and 2 back) to the trek. I will have a total of about four weeks from when I depart until I have to be back in Kathmandu for my flight back home in early December. I am hoping to do it in three weeks so I will have time to go to Chitwan National Park in Southwestern Nepal for a few days.

I am still undecided about traveling to Peru and taking on the Inca trail. I will make that decision next Autumn. I will at some point in time travel to see the Andes, but it's the trek that makes me nervous as it has a set schedule and it is with a group. I will have to see how well I do on my next two big hiking trips before I make the decision on whether or not to do it. 

Since this past weekend was a 4-day holiday weekend I took advantage of it along with the cooler temperatures and got back on the trail at Mother Neff State Park. I took my little runt-mutt Uisce as she has been feeling neglected as I have been dog-sitting my sons dog. She does love hiking and her spirits were lifted from the day out. I also hit the gym on Saturday and Sunday. On  Saturday I did 1000 steps on the stair master (20 minutes) and the three miles ( one hour+) on the treadmill. I did three fifteen minute sets of 5 min at 3%, 5 min. at 7.5% and 5 min. at 15%. I finished with 5 minutes each at -3%, 3% and 0 for a cool down. On Sunday I just did the treadmill,  5 min at 3%, 10 min. at 15% - 3 sets then the -3%, 0 cool down. My legs were a bit sore overnight last night but by this morning I felt fine. 

I've had some quiet time at work today so I looked up strength training for hiking in the mountains. I even searched weight training. I didn't really find anything regarding weight training, they just mention what I am already doing, Stairmaster and treadmill at high inclines. They also recommend Yoga and I did pick up on a few new poses I could add in to my routine. So I at least know I am on the right track regarding my training. I could do with increasing the frequency, but with work my time is limited. But once I retire - daily workouts will be on the cards. 

My sons dog, King

Uisce on the top wall of the Old CCC built stone tower at Mother Neff 

Bucket List - ✔

 We are already halfway through the month of November. It seems it was just the first a few days ago. The holidays are nearly upon us and I am no where near ready for them. Thanksgiving will not be at my house for the first time in many years. I have passed the torch to my youngest daughter. She lives close to both of her sisters and it is a bit shorter drive for her brother. My oldest daughter is bringing her boyfriend and his two sons, so it will be a full house with nine in total. I'm looking forward to having everyone together. the last time was Christmas 2022. 

I went to Corpus Christi this past Sunday and stayed till Wednesday. Visited my son that lives there. On the way down I detoured to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge with the hope of seeing some Whooping Cranes. They spend their winters there and usually start arriving in October. This year though they are a bit late and the first family group only arrived on Friday. Three of them, I knew my chances would be low to spot them. This has been on my bucket list for years. I have followed the decline and the comeback for this rarest of birds since I was a child. It is also the largest bird in North America. Well I had luck on my side and was able to spot them with my binoculars as they were feeding. After about twenty minutes they took flight and flew close to the observation tower so I was able to see them clearly with the naked eye. It was so exciting. If I can get back down there before they head back north in March I hope to maybe see when there is a larger group. Last year they had about 180 birds total. I did a few short hikes while I was there and did see several other bird species. 

On Tuesday my son and I went to the Padre Island National Seashore and had a nice walk along the beach and then a nice seafood lunch. It really was nice getting to spend a few days alone with him. He is so busy with Soccer this time of year as he is currently coaching four different teams. I brought his dog  - King, a pitty mix home with me so he can get out of the apartment for a bit and run around my back yard. He'll keep me active for a few weeks while he is here. 

I think this weekends workouts will be back at the gym. I went last Saturday and did 1000 steps on the stair-master and an hour on the treadmill with a variety of inclines with half of the hour spent above 10%. I'll aim for the same again. 

So this time in two years I will have started my EBC trek after finishing my eight weeks of teaching in Salleri. So close yet so far. I hope that it will be a successful completion of my top bucket list item.

Whooping Cranes and other pictures from my trip to the Texas Coast. 

✔✔

Anticipation

 It has been a relatively quiet and uneventful week. My Workout last weekend consisted of painting my back door and side lights inside and out. It was way overdue. It did take several hours on both Saturday and Sunday. I am so glad to have that done. I still have some interior trim that needs painting and hopefully once I've completed that I can put the paintbrushes away for a few years. I did get on the stair-stepper on Sunday and completed 1000 steps. I repeated it again yesterday morning. I was off work for an eye exam in the morning and a dentist appointment in the afternoon. Both went well with no major issues. I did need an updated eyeglass prescription, I knew to expect that as I do not see clearly out of my current ones. 

My new ones I ordered with the knowledge that they are the ones I will be wearing to Nepal. I had already decided that I would get RayBans as I have had the best luck with their frames being durable, comfortable and suit my nerdy nature. My vision is crap both near and far, so progressive lenses are a must, I also went with transition lenses so I don't have to worry about carrying a pair of prescription sunglasses. I also need to UV protection that they provide when hiking at higher altitudes. Anti-glare and anti-scratch coatings completed the package. I hopefully will have them by the end of next week. It was a bit exciting knowing that I was getting these with the trip to Nepal in mind. They will also be great for my upcoming hiking trips too. 

We finally have rain and cooler temperatures on the forecast. It will most likely be too wet to go hiking so I think it will be time to renew my gym membership. I am going to do it for a full year this time. I can't get lazy anymore. Big Bend, Rocky Mountain National Park, Inca trail in Peru and then Nepal and EBC. I've some big challenges ahead. I do get nervous about it at times, but I know the sense of accomplishment will be the most amazing reward. I think the biggest reward though will just come from the eight weeks I will spend teaching in Salleri. Oh the anticipation. 

Wait and Weight

 Since returning from Colorado I have been a bit lazy. I knew I was going to take the month off from the gym, but I had planned on working out at home and returning to the trails at Mother Neff State Park. Well the weather has not cooperated, we are still having record highs and for the month of October we are nine degrees Fahrenheit above average. I have been getting on my stair-stepper some, but maybe only two to three times a week for a quick workout.  I am thinking I might head back to the gym this weekend, at the very latest it will be next weekend.  I needed the break as I have lost weight ( now five pounds) since going to Colorado. I am now two pounds below where I had set my lowest target weight. I really want to stay above 120 lbs., preferably around 122-124 lbs. The women in my family as we age tend to lose weight. I also know that with all the trekking I have planned and international travel I will lose weight during those trips. I need to maintain my weight in the mid 120's to have a bit of a buffer to allow for safe weight loss. I guess I need to start treating myself to some high calorie desserts. 

My excitement about committing to teaching in Nepal hasn't diminished. I have a wish list on Amazon of things I want and need for the trip. I did go ahead and purchase a Khumbu region National Geographic map that has roads and trails on it. Salleri is located right at the bottom of the map, but the trails to Pikey Peak, EBC and many others are on it so it will be very useful. I am studying harder on my Nepali Language App and have nearly mastered the first two modules. I will have to pay to continue the course as only the first two were free. I don't expect that I will ever be fully conversational, but hopefully at least I can communicate the basics. I have been looking at TEFL courses. Most of them only give you six months access to the course material. I have found one that has twelve month access. While I expect to complete the course in just a few months, I would like to have access to review things up until I leave for Nepal. So with the twelve month access I can start the classes in September 2025. 

So life is going pretty well right now. I just wish the weather would cool down so I will feel like hiking again. November is just a week away, so hopefully Autumn will arrive soon.

One step closer...

 I did it.... I sent my confirmation fee to the non-profit in Nepal to confirm my position to teach English at the Monastery in Salleri. The trip is just a little over 22 months away, but I feel I will need it to get prepared. I will be there for three months, teaching for eight weeks. My first week will be in Kathmandu attending orientation and Nepalese language classes. I'll then travel to Salleri a 12 hour jeep trip and will teach for eight weeks. Weather permitting I am going to trek to Pikey Peak during the Dashain festival which will be at the halfway point. This should be just a four to five day trek. At the end of the eight weeks I will start my Everest Base Camp Trek from Salleri. During my stay in Salleri I will most likely be staying at the monastery. I will spend most of my time there but will also teach some classes at the nearby public school. I will also assist the young monks with their homework in the afternoons and evenings. I think they currently only have about a dozen students of varying ages. I will also get the opportunity to study with the monks and learn more about Buddhism. I will also eat my meals at the monastery. 

I really need to get back to the gym and get on the treadmill. I can't slack off any longer... I'm going to Nepal! I am going to go see Mount Everest! I get to spend three months in the Himalayas. I get to teach! 

So much to do besides get fit. Learn Nepalese - I have already started  online lessons on the Ling app. Next year I will do an online course to get TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) certified. Clothing and gear for the trip will be a challenge as when I arrive in early September it will still be very warm in Kathmandu and mild in Salleri, it will also still be the monsoon season. By late October in Salleri the lows are dipping into the 40's at night and 50-60's in the afternoon. The real challenge will be on the EBC trek in late November as I will be dealing with sub-freezing temperatures for a week or more of the hike. It's going to be interesting for sure. 

View of Mountains from Salleri.

Limbo

 I am finally settling back in at work. My mind still often wanders to the mountains and wishing I were still there. I am starting to plan my trip to Big Bend next year. Campsite has been reserved for several months now, and I've been doing a bit more Alltrails research on the hikes I want to do. The two big hikes are really close to the campground. There are a number of trails in that area, but I think a few of them may be too challenging or too long. My daughter had planned on going with me but it is looking like she won't be able to make it as her lease is up just a few weeks after the trip and she really wants to move somewhere new. She works remote so as long as she has reliable fast internet she can go just about anywhere. I am also looking at options for Colorado next Autumn. As much as I loved where we camped this year I would like to explore new areas. I'd love to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, but by late September there aren't many options for camping. I may see if I can get something, if not I will have some other options on the table. 

I have stepped back my work-out schedule for the month. Just easy home workouts and of course my morning yoga. I am still waiting for cooler weather to get out on the local trails, but summer does not want to loosen it's grip on the weather. I am so tired of it getting into the 90's every day. We may get some relief in another week, I'll just need it to stick around through a weekend. 

I also need to get my volunteer position confirmed for Nepal. I just need to get a few questions answered so I can confirm my timeline to be there. The Visa is issued for 90 days max, but an extension can be acquired after arrival. I can probably keep my time there under the 90 days, but it depends on the Dashain holiday period and how that impacts the teaching schedule. It could possibly be a 2 week school break, but I think the monastery school doesn't shut down. The Volunteer director recommended I trek the EBC during it, but I really don't want to go then as it is peak season and the trails and teahouses are crowded. I wouldn't mind hiking to Pikey Peak, but it would be a 4 day trek at most. I prefer to do EBC at the end of my trip so I don't have to rush. I'll just have to see how it all plays out.

15 more months until I retire. It sounds like a 15 year jail sentence to me right now. I had hoped my vacation would re-energize me, but instead I feel trapped even more. I am so ready for the next chapter in my life. To be free of schedules and deadlines. I want to travel, go hiking, or just be lazy on any given day. I feel like I am in limbo right now. My plans feel like dreams, will I really get to fulfill them?

15 more months. Please tell me I can do it. 

The Highs and Lows of Vacations

 I am now on my third day back at work after a wonderful trip to Colorado. My daughter and I had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the break from routine. The weather was perfect, The aspen trees were putting on on show with their glowing golden leaves. So many things exceeded our expectations. Even when it seemed like something bad was happening it turned out perfectly fine. The only really terrible thing was returning to Texas and going back to work. I keep telling myself fifteen more months until retirement, I can do this. But I really don't want to. I still want to be in the mountains. I want to be on the trails. I want to go to sleep in my sleeping bag inside my tent and wake up to fresh mountain air and the sounds of nature. Instead, it's my alarm waking me up, quick showers as I still am waiting on the plumber, forty minutes in traffic to get to a job I just don't care about any more. 

15 more months,

I can do it....

So I guess I should talk about my trip.

Day one: Driving from my home to Raton N.M. It is about a nine hour drive, nothing exciting except the Check Engine light came on and my Cruise Control and Eyesight ( Subaru) quit working. Car was still running fine and with it being a weekend we decided to keep on driving. I missed having cruise control, but we made it to Raton without any issues. I had reserved a room at the Raton Pass Motel ( https://www.ratonpassmotorinn.com/ ), a beautifully restored mid-century (retro) inn that was perfect. Clean, comfortable, wonderful owner/host. Even the other guest were all friendly. We had dinner at Colefax Ale Cellar ( https://colfaxalecellar.com/ ). Food was good, beer was even better and the prices were very reasonable. My daughter had the Hot green Chili Cheesesteak (she loved it) and I had the green Chili Quesadilla (I try to not eat meat). It was quite good and just spicy enough. The downtown area of Raton is charming with many restored buildings and a good variety of businesses. We both fell in love with this charming New Mexico town. I hope to return in a few years and spend a few days there exploring. 

Day 2: Raton to Mueller State Park (near Divide Co.). We didn't need to rush out this morning as we only had a two and a half hour drive. We did need to stop and pick up some fresh fruit and a few other groceries, but we would do that as we passed through Colorado Springs. Without planning to, we ended up in the Historical Colorado City neighborhood and decided to have brunch before continuing on to the park. We explored the area a bit while waiting for a table. Our food was average, but was nice to get a hot meal before heading off camping for the next three nights. 

We arrived early afternoon to the campground. The campsite was over 300 yards from the parking lot so it took quite a few trips to get our gear hauled in and set-up. Oh but was it worth it, the view from the campsite was amazing. I had researched it and everyone said to get this one if you can. They were right... it exceeded our expectations. Trees on three sides, and then a view for miles, across hills, forests and snow top mountain peaks. The sunset that evening was gorgeous. It had been raining earlier in the day (it had just stopped when we arrived). The sky glowed with reds, blues, pinks and purple. The sun set so slowly and the stars appeared one by one until the sky was twinkling with thousands of dots of light. We had a campfire blazing as the temperature fell into the forties, it continued to fall and by sunrise it was thirty-two frosty degrees.

Day 3: Dang it was cold sleeping. I forgot to put my wool socks on so my feet were cold most of the night. But when I stepped out of the tent it was a beautiful sight. The sky was just getting light. Frost had settled on the ground and sparkled as the morning light hit. The sun slowly lit up the mountains and for the first time we could see the snowcapped peaks in the distance. As the sun rose higher it began to light up the aspens, the leaves shimmered like gold. I grabbed my yoga mat and did my morning routine overlooking the scenic vista before me. It was so peaceful. By 8:00 am We set off on our first hike. We had planned a five mile hike there in the park that was a combination of several connected trails. The first half of the hike was up on a ridge with beautiful overlook of the mountains and forests. Aspens covering some of the hillsides. The trails were at times hard to follow and then there was a detour due to a portion of one of the trails being closed. Our five mile hike turned into a 6.5 mile one and led down in an area that wasn't as scenic and was a bit more challenging. I had planned on an afternoon hike, but after that one and the lack of sleep the night before we both ended up taking a nice nap that afternoon. By early evening we had a campfire blazing once again, but were in bed not long after the stars appeared.

Day 4: Not so cold this morning, low forties. We both slept much better and are ready early to take on a more challenging hike. The Crags Trail is outside of the park on National Forestry Land just five miles away. It is rated as a moderate hike on Alltrails and is highly recommended by other hikers. This trail did not disappoint. It is a 4.8 out and back hike with an altitude gain of over 800 feet reaching 10,850 feet above sea level.  The first half mile is uphill, it then levels out for over a mile before heading back uphill to the summit. It was a beautiful trail at times following a stream. there were groves of aspens, massive rock formations and towards the end magnificent vistas. My daughter and I spent close to an hour at the summit just taking it all in. We even enjoyed the hike back down. We both left knowing we would be back as this is our new favorite trail. Later that afternoon we did a short hike in the park, the Peak View trail. It was nice and was a nice ending to our brief camping trip at Mueller State Park. The evening was much as the previous two, a campfire, watching the sun set and the stars come out and then an early nights sleep.

Day 5: As I lay on my cot as the morning dawned I thought about the drive home we would have in a few days and the fact that the check engine light was still on and that the cruise control was inoperable. We were planning on driving straight home without stopping which would be a twelve hour trip. I decided it would be best to take the car to the Subaru dealer as soon as we got back to Colorado Springs and get the codes read and see if it would be safe to drive it back home.  So we packed up our camping gear, loaded the car and headed out for the forty minute drive to the Subaru dealer. 

The Subaru dealer service department was insanely busy. I was trying to remain optimistic that the issue with the car would be a computer glitch, but after a thirty minute wait it came back as a bad temperature sensor on the manifold. It would be best to get it repaired before heading home. They could see were were on vacation and they would do their best to get the car repaired that day. I asked if they had loaners or rentals and luckily they had a rental for $35 a day. The tech also when writing up the repair discovered that part had an extended warranty so the repairs should be covered. We were soon on the road in our Forester rental and headed to Garden of the Gods for a easy hike. Well it was also insanely busy. A short hike as there were just too many people around to enjoy it and we soon left. We did see some Mountain Goats while there, but that was about it. We went back to Historical Colorado City for a browse through the shops and then grabbed a quick bite at Wendy's. While we were eating I got a text that my car was ready to pick up, It wasn't even one o'clock yet so we were surprised but happy. As expected the repairs were under warranty and they even reimbursed the car rental! It couldn't have been any better. From there we headed on the the hotel I had booked to see if we could check in a bit early. We could and we did. We were both in need of hot showers and a bit of a rest so that we would be ready to take on the Manitou Incline early the next morning. Dinner that night was the only disappointment for the whole trip. We went to a local Microbrewery for beer and pizza. he beer was good, the pizza was probably the worst pizza I have ever had served to me that didn't come out of a freezer. So disappointed. 

 Day 6: The day has arrived to take on the challenge of the Manitou Incline. Nervous excitement as we headed out before dawn to catch the 6:00 am shuttle. 6:20 am and we are at the base ready to tackle it. Doubts  and questioning my sanity is dominating my thoughts. Slow and steady, failure is not an option. Looking up at the incline towering in front of us as we begin we feel we are in store for a long morning hike up. One step at a time. The first bit is easy but awkward as the steps are spaced out, it is difficult to get in a rhythm. As it gets steeper I found that it was a bit easier. As we ascended we stopped frequently to take pictures as the sun rose over Colorado Springs, it was a beautiful sight and a beautiful morning. About a third of the way up my daughter felt nauseous and had to rest. It wasn't long before she was ready to get moving again and she made a point of taking regular small sips of water. We continued with a slow steady climb with frequent breaks. 1600.... 1800...Final bailout point...2000... 2500... 2768 - We made it!!! Two and one half hours. I was so excited as I was so worried I would be over three hours. The adrenalin rush at the top re-energized me. I felt great. What a feeling of accomplishment for my daughter and I. We rested and explored the summit, had a snack, drank more water and then headed the three miles down the Barr Trail. It is a beautiful hike, but about halfway down I began to tire and the sun got a bit warm. But in just over an hour we were back at the shuttle stop and headed back to the hotel to shower and change and then head off for a celebratory brunch and Mimosas. 

After Brunch we headed to Downtown Manitou Springs for a bit of souvenir shopping. Afterwards we had a relaxing evening and early bed as we had to get up early and get on the road for the twelve hour drive home.

It was an amazing vacation. My confidence is up as I know I can challenge myself to do and succeed at these more difficult hikes. I was so proud of my daughter for taking on the challenge beside me. The hardest part though was returning home. I really wanted to drive north to Rocky Mountain National Park to continue hiking until the winter snows begin to fall. But we have responsibilities and jobs. This first week back at work all I want to do is return to Colorado and be out on the trails. I really do love hiking, the forests and the mountains. I am so tired of working.  Fifteen more months to retirement.  I can do this, just like I did the Manitou Incline. One step at a time.

A bit rainy when we arrived in Colorado

 

Loved our campsite at Mueller State Park.

Downy Woodpecker paid us a visit several times.

The View to the Southwest from the campsite.

 Day 3 (first hike) 6.5 miles - Outlook Trail, Ravens Ridge and Rock Pond Trails

Day 4 - The Crags Trail

Day 5- A quick stop at Garden of the Gods

Mountain Goats.

Day 6

The Manitou Incline

Success!

Does it make a difference....

 Happiness, isn't it a wonderful feeling? This has been a good week. Maybe because my trip to Colorado is getting closer. Maybe because I had a really great workout on Saturday. Maybe it's just because I have nothing to be sad or stressed about. I think I am just living my life in the moment and enjoying all that is good about it. 

Life isn't perfect though, I have major plumbing issues that is impacting when and how much water I use at home. The plumber is so far behind right now he will not get to me until after I return from my trip. I worry that the repairs are going to be quite costly too. But I have to expect things like this as I live in a nearly seventy year old home. I am fortunate to have this charming little home though and I enjoy fixing it up so that I will have a cozy place to grow old(er) in. 

I am still on a high with the planning of my volunteering trip to teach in Nepal in two years. I am a very detailed planner and like to have each little thing planned out well in advance of any trip. The one issue I keep struggling with on the timing of this trip though is when I travel over in September the weather will still be warm to mild. In Kathmandu it will still feel like summer much as it does here in Texas ( same latitude) Once I travel up to Salleri it will cool down a bit but will still be mild but rainy, the monsoons usually continue into early October.  Once the monsoon season ends it will begin to cool down and it will be winter before I return home. Now I can only pack so much, probably two duffle bags and my back pack. Clothes for temperatures from 90f down to zero. I will need to find out what I can purchase locally in Salleri to fill in for what I won't have room to bring. 

I have started an online Nepalese language course. I hope to learn enough to be able to communicate the basics without having to rely on Google translate all the time. learning to read and write will be the most challenging. I hope to at least learn to recognize a few important words. So I have mastered Woman - Mahila, Man - Purush, Boy - Keta, and Girl - Keti. 

Volunteering in a foreign country has it's pros and cons. Some people (and I am guilty of this) only can commit a week or so. Work, school and other commitments limits the time that people can spend away from home. Do these short term assignments have an impact? Are they more harmful than good? I suppose that depends on what you are doing. I personally feel that to commit to less that two weeks is a burden to those that have to prepare and train you to do the job you came to do. I know it can take me several days to feel comfortable in a new place. When working with children consistency is key to having a positive outcome. High turnover in volunteers disrupts the patterns. In the case of teachers it is crucial for consistency in what is being taught and how. I really wonder if my 8 weeks will be too short. 

I have a friend that went on a mission trip to Guatemala recently. She fund raised for the trip and stressed over the cost of going but felt that God was leading her to go and to make a impact on these unfortunate Guatemalans. The way she talked about it I thought she was going for six months or longer.  Her trip was one week. ONE WEEK! She cam home talking of the impact that it made on her and how blessed she was to help these people. She felt like she had such a positive effect on them. I'm just shaking my head. I'm glad she feels so good about what she did. It hopefully help her to make more positive changes in her life. But we cannot fool ourselves into thinking that one week in a disadvantaged area helping out will even be a drop in the bucket for it to have an impact on the lives of the Guatemalans. 

I know that the time I spent helping out at Kidane Mehret Childrens home was just that. It was helping the Sisters to get a break from their duties. It was an extra pair of hands to feed a toddler. It was helping a older child with their homework. It was an extra set of eyes on the preschoolers on the playground. It was someone to read a book to them in English so they would start to learn it. But I knew that when I left, I would be forgotten. Someone else would step in and take my place. I loved what I did, and I was filled with a joy of being able to help. That is why I want to teach in Nepal. I hope to be there long enough to make friends. To create memories. To be so lucky to do so in such a beautiful country is a bonus. I know that English teachers are desperately in need. Native English speakers are preferred for the older kids to practice conversations with. I know that I will just be one of many that these students will have over the course of their school years. I may be a passing memory for them. For me it will be so much more. I guess that is what inspires us to volunteer, the hope that you can make things better for someone for just a day and that for you it makes your life better forever.  

Optimistic

 The trip to Colorado is just around the corner. I've quite a few things organized and packed. I'm trying to keep the final preparations to a minimum. Meals will be super simple on this trip. Energy bars and Starbucks iced bottled coffees for breakfast, PB&J for lunch, Kind bars for snacks and dinner is Shin Black Ramen, Mac and Cheese and Jajangmyeon (Black Bean paste) Ramen

The weather is nearing perfection in Mueller State Park. The forecast lows for the coming weeks is in the low 40's and daytime highs in the mid-60's. Little to no rain is in the picture too! I'll be glad to escape the heat here in Texas. It is forecast to be in the mid to upper 90's up until we leave.

My workouts have not been great lately. I have only been getting to the gym on Saturday and Sunday. My Saturday workouts have been good, 2000 steps on the stair master, and 1.5 miles on the treadmill mostly at 15% incline. Sunday's though have been a bit more of a struggle on the stair master. I managed 1600 this past Sunday, but did extra time on the treadmill. I have really struggled with going to the gym on week nights as I am either really tired or I just can't tolerate the number of people there working out. Young  bratty kids being the worst of it. My membership expires next week so I am going to take a break until November. I did get on my stair stepper at home last night and I will get back on it regularly during my break. I will also hit the trails again at Mother Neff State Park. I think for the next six months I will concentrate on hill climbing and when I do return to the gym the treadmill will dominate my workouts. I will return to the Stair master as I get closer to my Inca trail trek. But as it is still about 18 months away I will focus on what I have planned. After this upcoming Colorado trip I will return to Enchanted Rock and Lost Maples for what I plan on being an annual birthday hike. I'm then off to Big Bend for five days of hiking in February. 

I always have a trip to look forward too... isn't life great!

Another Step in the Journey

 

Another Step in the Journey

A week ago I reached out to a Nepalese NGO that places volunteers in different regions and job types in Nepal. They are one of the few that have placements in the Himalayas. I sent a brief resume along with the type of placement I was looking for and that I wanted to be in a village rather than a large city ( I don't do well in large crowds and noisy places). I wanted to be somewhere I could go trekking during my free time and was very interested in teaching in a Buddhist monastery as I want to continue to learn more about Buddhism. I did let them know I would not be available until the Autumn of 2026, but I would be willing to commit up to eight weeks teaching. 

They were impressed with my background and that I am planning on obtaining my TEFL certification prior to traveling. They have the perfect location in Salleri, Solu Khumbu in the upper foothills of the Himalayas. Salleri is the original starting point for the EBC trek. It was here Sir Edmund Hillary began his trek and ascent of Everest. It sets at an elevation of just under 8000 feet. Is is also a starting point for the newer Pikey Peak Trek which is a 3-4 day trek. It has an elevation of 13,369 feet and views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Mount Numbar and Kachenjunga.  In this village I would live with a local family and teach English to the young student Monks and then also teach in the local public school. This was exactly what I was hoping to find. Salleri is built on a hillside. It will be great training for the EBC trek. Starting the trek here will add an additional three days to the trip going up and 2-3 days coming back down. I am so excited to get the opportunity to teach in a rural village in the Himalayas. Students that learn English have better job prospects as they can work in the tourism trade which fuels this areas economy. 

This journey to get fit enough to be able to trek to EBC began because of my desire to volunteer in an area that would expand my horizons and a place where I felt I could make a difference. Nepal immediately captured my interest. It was while researching the volunteering options I stumbled across information about the EBC trek. It became my focus as the driving force to get physically fit. I also knew though too that even if I would not ever be fit enough to take on the trek, I still wanted to volunteer in Nepal. I will be securing my position in the coming months and will begin the TEFL certification process, Nepalese language courses and planning the logistics of a three plus month long trip. While two years seems a long way off, I know how quickly time flies by. I am so excited to have taken this step to making this dream a reality.

Salleri Village

Salleri Monastery

The fitness journey so far...

 Yesterday I was looking back at a few older posts. It was motivational for me to see how far I have come with my workouts. Just over the summer the improvement has surprised even myself. My first time on the Stair Master I was only on for less than ten minutes at 45 steps per minute. I now do 55 steps per minute and do 2000 steps in about 38 minutes ( I slow it down briefly when I take a sip of water). My first few times on the treadmill I did about a forty minute workout at varying inclines from -3% to 15%. I don't think I was on any setting for more than five minutes. This past Tuesday I did an hour with fifty minutes of it at 15%. I started at 3.5% for five minutes, then did the 15% for  the fifty then back to 3% for about five minutes. I did not do the Stair Master though on Sunday or Tuesday as it was not working. I did however on Saturday do my 2000 steps and then thirty minutes on the treadmill with half of that at 15%. 

This time last year I was in Alaska at Denali National Park. I attempted Mount Healy but came up well short of the summit before turning back. It was very disheartening but eye opening too as I knew I had to be more committed to getting in shape. My workouts then only consisted of a morning Yoga routine and around 300 steps on my little stair stepper I had at home. I hadn't yet started hiking regularly due to the summer heat. By late December I was taking on six mile hikes with steeper inclines some up to 30%. I was improving. In April my daughter and I went to Cloudcroft NM to hike at 9000 foot elevations. The trails were moderate with most inclines under 25%. The altitude is the killer there the first few days. We were just getting acclimated when it was time to head home.

Since returning from New Mexico I started working out at the Fitness Center. I go three to four time a week and work out for an hour or more on the Stair Master and Treadmill. It is quite a bit more intensive than any home workout or any of the hiking trails in my area are. It won't be much longer until our Autumn hiking trip to Colorado for me to see if this hard work has paid off. 

Planned hikes for Colorado:

Rock Pond/ Ravens Ridge Combo -  Steepest Incline - 20%, Length will be 5.5 miles, the elevation gain approx. 800 ft.

Crags Trail - Steepest incline  is 20%, length is 4.9 miles (out and back) with an elevation gain of 833 feet.  

I am also looking at some shorter hikes and the possibility of a longer one - either Rainbow Mountain or Putney Gulch, both of those are slightly more challenging than Crag's Trail, but I don't think as scenic. 

I am debating some trails at Garden of the Gods or hiking near the peak of Pikes Peak. But the big hike will be the Manitou Incline returning down via the Barr Trail.

The incline with the Trail is a four mile hike. 0.9 mile is up 2768 steps up an elevation gain of 1978 feet. The steepest grade is 47%... it is no walk in the park. I plan on taking it slow, plenty of breaks for water and pictures. I'm not worrying about how long - just getting to the top. The trail back down is narrow, rocky and twists and turns. It has descending inclines of up to over 25%. It is 3.1 miles downhill. 

I feel confident that if I can make it to the top this year I will keep to my workout schedule and attempt next year to do it twice in one day. To be able to do that will be a challenge as close as I can get to the Dead Women's Pass on the Inca Trail. I have until March of 2026 to get in shape for it. But right now my focus is on the Manitou Incline.