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| Summer sun never quits in ALaska |
I've been lucky in life. Not everyone gets the opportunity to experience the world like I have and I'm eternally grateful. Some of my good fortune has to do with circumstances aligning in my favor, like internships for school and summers at camp. The other extraordinary events only happened with the dedication and devotion of two amazing individuals: my parents. They wanted my sister and I to explore the world and helped in every way imaginable to make that a reality. From cowboy camping in diapers on the boardwalks of Yosemite Valley and weekend beach excursions to Wildwood, to private beach camping in the Virgin Islands and spring break trips snowboarding in Quebec, my parents made it happen (Captain).
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| Denali green camper bus |
But among all these incredible memories, I, personally, hold three of these trips close to my heart.
- An 11-year old girl staying wildly at the entrance archway to Zion National Park
- A smiling 13-year old wearing her new dress on the chilly shores of the North Sea, Holland
- A tearful, grateful 30-year old dwarfed by the tallest peak in North America
These moments all have two things in common. My parents made them happen. And each moment occurred on my birthday. It wasn't intentional, I assure you. My parents obviously never planned on having kids with summer birthdays and therefore I can't connect these vacations to my birthday, specifically. But for me, it's been a memento that's begun to impact my future trips.
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| Denali |
As the months sped towards my 30th birthday, I knew I needed that year's 'big day' to be something special. And what began as a solo Denali expedition, turned into a mother-daughter co-birthday adventure. With my mom also celebrating a milestone birthday in 2016 (I won't say which one), it only seemed appropriate that she join me. And her and my dad made it happen.
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| McKinley Bar near Wonder Lake |
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| Toklat River Bar |
I checked another state and national park off my bucket list (although I will be back someday), we saw Denali (which only 10% of visitors get to see), and we met some truly amazing people who helped celebrate our birthdays with beer, cakes, and songs in more languages than I can count. And just like every birthday prior and everyone yet to come, I was surrounded by love and the knowledge that I have parents who still find it a priority to make everyone of my birthdays, epic.
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| Nick (Alaska), my mom, me, Gabriel (Brazil), Marjolein (Holland) |
