"Love" = The Language of the World

I must say The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has brought a sense of vision to my life that almost feels a bit overwhelming. I finished the book this week and have now started reading the last third of the book over again with my highlighter. A quote that hit me pretty hard was "You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love...the love that speaks the Language of the World." When I relate this quote to my personal life I must admit that I now know I was tested and had I accepted the circumstances, my life would be totally different right now. I wouldn't be traveling the United States selling metal products, meeting new people and experiencing new things on a daily basis. I was nearly engaged about 3 years ago and would most likely still be living in Minnesota and working in a cubicle. Something in my heart told me to move on and see what "could be." I began to travel by myself and experience things I had been desiring to do and I feel like I am now on a path of pursuit. My life has changed in so many ways over the past year and especially in the past few months. I feel like I am now living the "could be" and the vision for my life is becoming more clear. I am a firm believer in listening to your heart and exploring the opportunities. I don't think one can go wrong by doing so. If you don't, you can only live with regret.

The "could be's" have now brought me back to Denver, my most favorite place. I am spending a few weeks out here relaxing, working and planning. For some reason this place makes me feel like I can do anything and I think the people who know me best can definitely sense my happiness whenever I am here. My trip out to Denver was relatively uneventful unless you consider driving flat land for 1,150 miles in one day eventful, trying to figure out a hotel in the middle of Kansas where there are no hotels, not being able to sleep and getting up at 6am the following morning and driving the last 250 miles to leave about 8 hours after arrival to go camping and hike your first 14er eventful, that is nothing in the new life of Sheila Hill. I think the thoughts of being in Denver were a bit exciting for my character.

I must tell you about this 14er that I hiked. It was called Mount Massive and it is Massive. My most favorite part of the trip was of course at the top, but the top seemed to bring a series of confessions. We were just about at the top of the mountain and I am chatting with Pat telling him I am really excited that I am going to make it to the top and feel like it will be the biggest accomplishment in the series of adventure I have been experiencing. Pat is thinking it is because of the high altitude and me not having any time to get my lungs regulated. I had to confess that I am deathly afraid of heights so me being 14,421 feet in the air is kind of a big deal for me. When we finally get to the top, we are all hanging out and Pat tells me he has a little confession that he has been holding out on. "Congratulations, you have just hiked the second highest peak in the state of Colorado." Think some four letter words right now and you will know exactly what I was thinking. Now that I am on top of the world (literally) I am feeling really good, the views are breathtaking and the 8oz can of Coors Light that was cracked open as a surprise and celebratory cheers was actually better than the face the camera captured. When we stand up, I realize (enter another four letter word) I have to get back down and looking down a mountain is way more difficult than looking up a mountain when you are afraid of heights. Clearly I made it down and am alive to tell the story and actually plan on doing some more 14ers in the near future. I am now an addict and that fear of heights has become a blur in the back of my mind.