HOW TO CONQUER THE SUNDAY SCARIES: ONE CLIMB AT A TIME

Starting the week with those dreaded "Sunday Scaries" riddled with anxiety about the upcoming work week, happens to most of us more than we’d like to admit. The voice inside your head plays on repeat….“why did I have to party so hard this weekend?!”. If you are still reading, you may have these same kind of Sundays, so you know how un-fun they can be.

Most people wouldn’t just decide to conquer that anxiety by doing something actually scary, but after a long weekend with many thoughts running through my mind, I knew I needed to get away. I decided to set out on a SOLO journey into the woods and knock out one of the highest summits in Colorado - Mount Bierstadt at a whopping 14,060 feet. For those of you who know the 58 Colorado 14ers out there, you know this is one of the easiest, but hey a girl’s gotta start somewhere!

Camping out in the woods can be nature's own medicine to rid yourself of any and all anxiety, although camping by myself for an entire weekend can also be the cause....the creak of the trees swaying in the wind and the distant voices from neighboring campsites was a combination that led to absolutely no sleep. Thank god I brought my pup, Minor, with me to keep me safe (just kidding he's more skiddish than me), but he is still my emotional support and awesome cuddle buddy, so I definitely recommend bringing a pet along if you have one.

After arriving Friday night, I immediately built a fire with my limited survival skills and began to relax and unwind. I have to say, time seems to go by annoyingly slow when you have nothing to do but stare at a fire by yourself. There's only so much yoga and "talking to the dog" (aka myself) one can do before you start to go insane. But, I made it through the weekend and the Sunday morning sun rises, which is already an accomplishment in itself.

After eating enough cliff bars to feed a small family, I climb to the peak and realize any and all anxiety I had the previous week was pointless. As I stare out into the bright blue, cloudless sky, I remember that the world is a beautiful place and I feel lucky that I get to call this place home. So, there can be a cure to the SS’s other than stuffing your face with pizza and drinking more (although that works sometimes!).

Do something that scares you, and do it alone. There’s nothing like climbing a mountain to make you see the world and yourself, a little differently, one step at a time.

#inspiration #motivation #travel