What up y’all! Tuning in from a local coffee shop as I transition between another house-sitting gig. While navigating the uncertainty, I continue to learn this lesson:

Things happen when you are out in the world, engaged with humans, tapped into communities, and putting yourself out there.

From teaching yoga, I’ve gained countless housesitting opportunities.
From coffee with friends → more homestays.
Attending weddings → job opportunities.

And just today I went to a birthday party where I connected with a guy interested in collaborating on men’s retreats.

I’ve found that conversations create opportunities, and the majority of those conversations happen when I’m actively engaged in the real world.

Face-to-face with humans.

So if you’re looking to make something happen, go engage with the world.

Something positively unexpected might just happen.

While it can be difficult to manufacture opportunities,
I believe you can absolutely increase the landing zone.

Which brings us to today’s topic ⬇️

Climbing Mount St. Helens 🏔️

Five years ago I ran a 43-mile race around this wild volcano that erupted in 1980, blowing off half the mountain.

And a couple months ago my buddy (s/o Slu) called me and asked if I’d be interested in climbing as he just secured a permit.

Immediate yes.
No questions asked.

I pride myself on always staying “game ready” so I don’t have to get ready.
Physically and mentally prepared to say yes when opportunity strikes.

I’ve run around it.
Figured it was time to go up.

Let’s get it 🚀

We were set to climb on Monday, so I spent the weekend checking weather, prepping gear, and ensuring I had the three things I never leave without:

I’ve learned my lessons on not bringing these items, and if there’s anything you take away from this newsletter, please let this be one of them.

Not because you necessarily need them, but if you do, you’ll be glad you have them.

For those interested, here’s my usual adventure rhythm:

Then - it’s gametime.

3am - alarm went off
3:10am - cold shower
3:25am - out the door
3:45am - arrival at Seth’s
4am - hit the road
7am - trek begins

I’ll spare the details of the climb,
but just know it’s epic.

Climbing over boulder fields.
Wind ripping along the ridge.
Scrambling up sand and scree.
Losing a step for every step taken as the ground gives way beneath your feet.

5,000+ feet of elevation gain and descent over 9.5 miles.

And the summit?

Insane.
Majestic.
Breathtaking to witness jagged peaks surrounding the crater that erupted 46 years ago.

Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood - all in one line.

Piercing a bluebird sky as we happened to climb one of the rare days when the smoke had cleared and visibility was superb.

We enjoyed the summit, made some friends, crushed some snacks, and cruised back down, arriving at the car by 1:27pm to head back home.

Not bad for a Monday.

1) Seek Adventure

I love the thrill of adventure.
Venturing into the unknown.
Getting outdoors and feeling so free.

And I want that for you.

Whatever adventure means to you.

It doesn’t have to be climbing a volcano.

It could be family strolls through the park.
Picnics along a river.
A weekend roadtrip just because.

Adventure has helped my heart explode with aliveness.

And it’s there for all of us.

2) There’s power in doing hard things.

We become more persistent, resilient, and develop a greater sense of confidence when we do hard things.

And those characteristics translate to many aspects of our lives.

Having hard conversations.
Growing through relationships.
Overcoming challenges at work.

Years ago I started a “cookie jar” list - inspired by the legendary David Goggins.

Whenever I accomplish something massive or overcome a serious challenge, I document it.

From career accomplishments to physical endeavors, the list has grown over the years.

Proof of what I’m capable of.

But - even more importantly, I have failures in that list as well.

Like shooting for a sub 3-hour marathon and coming up six miles short after blowing out my hip.

Yet I still finished the race, hobbling to the finish line in tears after years of work had gone into this goal.

I didn’t accomplish what I set out to do.

But I held my head high because I gave it my best.

And chose to keep moving forward.

So that not if - but when - life gets hard, I can always remember the hardships I’ve overcome.

And who I’ve become in the process.

To give myself the confidence to keep moving forward regardless of the obstacles in my way.

3) Conversations create opportunities.

And here we are - coming full circle.

Back to the idea that showing up in the world, engaging with humans, and having conversations can expand your landing pad for opportunities to arise.

My friend who invited me was someone I reconnected with last year at the wedding I mentioned in last week’s newsletter.

Reinforcing my truth that following the heart and leaning into intuition can point you True North.

And this past week - my True North was saying yes and climbing that mountain.

Because I know there will be more mountains to climb.

Tip: Go for a walk.

Action: Take a walk you normally do, but this time - explore the unknown.

Why it matters:

I took my normal Harbor cruise last week and decided to do exactly this.

I learned more about my hometown in one 4-mile walk than I had in the last decade.

I discovered new journaling spots, lookouts, and pieces of local history - and my curiosity soared.

💥 NEW REEL → Climbing Mount St. Helens

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See you next week 😎