#41in41 Another Year of Saying Yes

 

Another Year of Saying Yes

#41in41

Every year on my birthday, I make a bucket list with one adventure for every year I've been alive. I have been doing it for almost a decade!! Some things are big, some are small, and some are completely random. Looking back at #41in41, I'm reminded that life isn't measured by how busy we are. It's measured by the stories we collect. Here are the adventures that made my 41st year unforgettable.

#1 – La Leona Waterfall- The hike to La Leona Waterfall had everything, river crossings, scrambling over rocks, and squeezing through a narrow canyon before the bright blue water finally appeared. The water was too high and had a strong current  to get close, but I got to float down the river. It was the perfect reminder that the best adventures aren't always the easiest.

#2 – Cloud Forest- Walking through a cloud forest felt like stepping into another world. One minute I had incredible views, and the next I was surrounded by mist.

#3 – Night Wildlife Tour- Our guide somehow spotted a viper, a toucan, and a sleepy sloth hidden in the trees. I never would've seen half of them on my own. yeah a viper.... I don't think so! I did asked him to find me a bright frog and he did! It was great!

#4 – Wild Monkeys- This was on my hike to La Leona waterfall! My guide told me to look up in the canopy. All of a sudden, the trees start to bounce and then you see the monkeys crossing over! Watching these monkeys swing through the trees would never got old.  Seeing wildlife where it belongs is always better than behind glass.

#5 – 200-Foot Waterfall Rappel- One of favorite adventures of the entire year was repelling down “The Big Boy” in Costa Rica. Standing at the top was scary, but the moment I leaned back over the edge I knew I'd never forget it.

#6 – White Water Tubing-There was plenty of spinning, splashing, and laughing. It wasn't graceful, but it was ridiculously fun. I flipped completely out of my tube!

#7 – Bike Zipline- I never thought I'd pedal a bike across a zipline high above the jungle. Costa Rica kept raising the bar for adventure.

#8 – Birthday at The Pipe House- Celebrating my birthday with a bunch of bros who quickly became friends was one of those moments you couldn't plan. We laughed, smoked a pipe, made up a coaster game, and somehow, I won 'the chip.' They even found a candle and sang happy birthday to me! 

#9 – Grateful Dead Bar- I ended up dancing at a Grateful Dead bar with people I'd only just met. It's one of those random travel memories that still makes me smile.

#10 – Haleakalā Sunrise- Watching the sunrise above the clouds was one of the most peaceful mornings I've ever experienced. The local people sing a song as the sun rises over the horizon!

#11 – Road to Hana- The waterfalls, curves, and hidden stops along the Road to Hana were every bit as memorable as the destination. A stop at Coconut Glen's was a must! I got the lilikoi and ube icream! A stop at Huli Huli Chicken was also a must for some of the best Hawaiian food!

#12 – Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach- is a volcanic park in Hāna. The beach is rocky and the waves crash on the dark basalt cliffs. I close my eyes and I can picture the bright ocean blue water and hear it crashing in!

#13 – Hiking the Pipiwai Trail and seeing the giant Banyan Tree- This was at the end of the Road to Hana. We started a hours or so before sunset. We made it to the waterfall and had to head back. We made it back to the car in pitch black. I mean, it was absolutely dark! 

#14 – Bamboo Forest

#15 – Swimming with Sharks- One of those adventures that sounds much scarier than it actually felt once I was in the water. This was amazing and exhilarating and not only are you swimming with sharks but while you are underwater you can hear the humpback whales singing! I kept wanting to dive deeper so I could graze my hand on their skin but the sharks weren't up for making friends that day! 

#16 – Kayaking with Humpback Whales- Paddling while humpback whales surfaced nearby is something I'll remember forever. It was a beautiful day on the ocean. The bright sun in the sky. The ocean blue waters and the magnificent creatures surrounding our kayaks!

#17 – Cliff Jump at Cliff House- Sometimes the hardest part is taking the first step off the edge.

#18 – Lilikoi- I tried Lilikoi fruit and it was amazing! I had it as the foam to the famous Mai Tais at Monkeypod and in my ice cream at Coconut Glen's while driving the Road to Hana. I even bought a jar to bring home with me!

#19 – Mt. Whitney Summit- I hiked for 27 hours on Mt. Whitney. I started at 1:30am and finished the next day at 4:30am. I summitted, burned my lips, couldn't walk for days. Too keep hiking, I kept hearing “just take one step, one foot in front of the other.” This by far was the hardest hike I have ever done and as prepared as I thought I was, I wasn't. 

#20 – Learning to Use an Ice Axe- I added another mountain skill to my list and was grateful to learn it in such an incredible place.

#21 – Glissading- Sliding down the snow with an ice axe as your anchor was one of the most fun parts of the entire climb, for me. Not so much for one of the people I hiked with. They didn't get their axe in before they started down the mountain. I remember they were screaming on the trail and I looked up so I could get off the path as they flew past me. I kept yelling to put their axe in the snow. It just reminded me of starting at the top of a hill as a little snow ball to being a huge snowball with arms and legs poking out. 

#22 – Sequoia National Park- Seeing the giant sequoias after Mt. Whitney was the perfect way to celebrate.

#23 – Death Valley National Park- Another reminder that every landscape has its own kind of beauty. Death Valley sits below the river basin and is absolutely stunning! 

#24 – Mt. Bierstadt- Another 14er in the books! I even saw a kitten hiking on my way down the mountain! It was the highlight of the trail. I wonder if I can get my kittens to learn how to hike? 

#25 – Wind River Range- A mission trip surrounded by incredible scenery reminded me that adventure and service can go together.

#26 – Picadilly- Pickles in a snow cone topped with Kool-Aid powder sounded terrible...until I tried it. It turns out weird travel foods make great stories. Would I get it again, probably not but I would recommend it 100%. Just try it!

#27 – Seeing the Friends and Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment- I made my niece hike through SoHo so we could find the iconic apartment complex where Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Rachel lived. Then we walked down the street between the rain and saw where Carrie Bradshaw lived before she moved in with Big. 

#28 – Coney Island- It’s a must. My niece navigated the subway system like a pro so we could enjoy the day at Coney Island! We did all the roller coasters at the park and then headed to the beach to work on our tans!

#29 – Nathan's Famous- Because you can't go to Coney Island without stopping at original Nathan's Hot Dogs on the boardwalk!

#30 – Niagara Falls- I took my niece to New York for our annual girls’ trip. We saw Wicked on Broadway, explored the city, and headed across the border to see Niagara Falls. The power of the falls is impossible to appreciate until you're standing there. We ended up doing Maid of the Mist and it was epic! They provide you with a rain jacket but everything that's not covered is soaked! The mist is everywhere! It's all part of an amazing experience. 

#31 – Cyclone Roller Coaster- Coney Island is a must! We hit up the classic coaster I had to experience at least once. It’s the 2^nd steepest wooden roller coaster!

#32 – Indoor Skydiving- Not quite jumping out of an airplane, but still a blast.

#33 – Chelsea Handler- I saw Chelsea Handler at the Chelsea in Las Vegas. She touched my shoulder so basically, we are best friends, right? I laughed until my face hurt was exactly what I needed.

#34 – Mystère- I saw my first Cirque du Solei and I'm still trying to figure out the giant snail and man-baby...but it was unforgettable.

#35 – Vallea Lumina- I didn't really know what this was when I booked it but everything I read said it was a must. It was kind of weird. 

#36 – Winter Ziplining- Flying through snowy trees between two mountains in Whistler made winter feel even more magical. 

#37 – Peak 2 Peak Gondola- The views from Whistler were worth every second.

#38 – Project Management Certificate- This year also included completing my Project Management Certificate from the University of Minnesota.

#39 – Macaron class- These sandwich cookies are feisty! But my mom and I had a blast learning how to make them.

#40 – Learning my ancestry- Why not make the best use of my FSA before the funds expire! It was fun learning about where my family comes from! 

#41- Bean and Bear- I finally made it up to the North Shore to hike then now famous Bean and Bear. We had great weather while hiking and the sun sparkled off the water. It was a beautiful way to enjoy a fall day!

Looking back, I actually ended up with more than 41 adventures. Some pushed me completely outside my comfort zone. Some made me laugh until I cried. Some reminded me to slow down and appreciate where I was. People ask me all the time if these adventures scare me. The answer is yes. But it's a good kind of scared. The kind that reminds me I'm alive. I never want to look back wishing I had taken the trip, climbed the mountain, or tried something new. Here's to another year of saying yes...and to whatever #42in42 has in store.