Quite the Feat

I just have to give a quick shout-out to a favorite professor of mine, who--after kicking breast cancer's arse--achieved her goal of climbing East Spanish Peak. It's quite the mountain, I might add: a mere 10,700 feet. Congratulations, Pat!

I'm pretty lucky to have mentors like her who have helped me through all my career moves thus far. In fact, Pat was the one who told me that if my job wasn't making me happy and if it started making me question my talent or skills, it was time to say "adios."

But what stuck with me the most was when she said, "girl, go climb a mountain."

So, I did. Another plus of Portland was that in a mere 45 minutes, you could forget everything in the city/job/life and go climb a mountain. So, I called Nicole on a Saturday morning in May, and told her I wanted to hike Dog Mountain.


Now, it's not nearly 10,700 feet, mind you ... only about 3,500, if that. Hiking this gorgeous path wasn't the most strenuous or most difficult thing I've ever done (though it certainly did kick my butt in some parts). I didn't get to the top and feel that I'd accomplished one of the biggest, most life-defining things in my life. But who cares? I still felt fantastic, looking at Mt. Hood who was peeking out in one direction, and Mt. St. Helens who was peeking in the opposite. After all, I hadn't ever climbed a mountain before, so this felt pretty damn good.

That's Mt. St. Helens saying hello.

Most of all, it provided a bit of clarity. We're all deserving of jobs, relationships, and experiences that make us happy; and it's not selfish to admit that when something's not up to par, it's time to make a change. And although I could have stayed up at the summit of Dog Mountain all day, relishing in my small feat, I knew eventually it was time to come down, harness that bit of clarity, and re-join the world. I quit my job just a month later.

She'll kill me for posting this. Sorry, Nicole! It's the only photo I had!

And out in New York, there are certainly still mountains to climb. They're just a little different. I've conquered the first little foothills to some extent, I think, since I have six interviews in six days, starting the day after I arrive. It'll be busy and stressful and overwhelming, but most things worth it are. After all, we're all climbing our own versions of East Spanish Peak and Dog Mountain everyday, right? That's life.