Here's a flashback photo of me with my sister and brothers in the backdrop. This was taken on a family vacation to visit my uncle in Pensacola Florida, must have been during his time in the US Navy since I can't imagine him living anywhere else but Maine. My parents thought nothing of throwing the four of us kids in the station wagon and setting out on an adventure. I'm sure this was one of my favorite trips, since it looks like we were able to relax and play, unlike the typical mountain climbing trips I was forced to participate in. Oh, we had other adventures as well, ruby and sapphire hunting in a gem mine in North Carolina, camping in Key West but it was mostly mountains. We had a checklist on the refrigerator of all the mountains in the white mountain trail, to be clear, 4000 footers equalling 48 peaks that must were to be summited. My brothers were avid climbers, obsessed with that darn list and the family went along, me begrudgingly. I was five years old the first time I climbed Mt. Washington, a mountain I would climb at least four times, to experience different trails. That checklist was on our fridge for years as we checked off one 4000 footer after another until it was complete. My last climb was Mt. Adams, I woke up feeling sick as a dog and complained I wasn't feeling well. My mother figured I was trying to get out of my least favorite vacation activity so ignored my complaints. It wasn't until we were half way up the mountain that she finally felt my forehead, my temperature was soaring to 104 and the decision was made that the others would continue while she walked me down and got me to my aunts house. That was it for me, at fifteen I vowed I was done, Mt. Adams finishing my list. I got out just in the knick of time, since my brothers soon became obsessed with rock climbing!!! No thank you! They ice climbed or rock climbed every weekend, traveling during vacations to various climbs and to warmer climates to climb anything in site. They gave up ice climbing after my oldest brother was in an avalanche and almost died, but the rock climbing continued. They went on to climb bigger mountains, Mt. McKinley and Mt. Aconcagua being the most noteworthy. My oldest brother wrote several guide books to climbing and now old men (who still think they resemble youngsters) they continue to climb every weekend. Whenever I plan a vacation I look for opportunities for relaxation, warmth and beaches, no working trips for me. Theres a big difference in vacation and travel, travel is for adventures, vacation for relaxation, the two are very different. After a lifetime of mountain climbing this gal is ready to sit on the beach!
❤️😘🥰T
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