Yesterday I visited my Mom and my brother’s family on the New Year Eve. I was chatting with my six year old nephew and this is how it went:
Me: 2017 was the best year of my life.
Nephew: 2017 was the best year of my life too.
Me: But you are only six-year-old!
Nephew whispered into my ear: “I am more than six-year-old now; please do not tell anyone.”
His expression was the same when we adults would start to feel embarrassed by our real age because we are getting too old.
Anyway, jokes aside, 2017 indeed was the best year of my life, especially for my hiking, backpacking, peakbagging, and mountaineering goals as follows:
February – March 2017: I completed Catskills 35er and W35er. I summitted my first Seven Summit Kilimanjaro at 19,341′ (5,895 meters). Visited Tanzania; went on a four-day long safari; visited Zanzibar.
April 2017: Visited Pittsburgh, PA and summitted two state high points on that trip.
May 2017: Participated for the first time on TD Five Boro Bike Tour where I was a featured speaker as an Ambassador on behalf of Bike NY’s Free Bike Education Program. I visited Puerto Rico and literally went all around the country and places that only locals would go to.
June 2017: I summitted my second Seven Summit Elbrus at 18,510′ (5,642 meters). Visited Moscow and Saint Petersburgh in Russia. I passed NYS Guide License Exam.
July 2017: I reached the summit of Rainier at 14,411′ (4,392 meters). Visited Seattle and Alaska.
August 2017: I took a Six-Day Mountaineering course where I learned the basics of many important mountaineering techniques. Visited Seattle (again) and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
September 2017: Visited Arizona; climbed the highest point in AZ, Humphreys Peak; visited Havasupai Falls, Grand Canyon, Antelope Slot Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, etc.
October 2017: I completed my Adirondack 46er list on the first week of October. I then completed my New Hampshire 48 list, which was also a finisher for my New England 67 list as well as a finisher for my Northeast 115 List, on third week of October.
November 2017: Took the Wilderness First Aid course course and got certified by SOLO.
All in all, it was a perfect and successful year for me. Going forward in 2018, I plan to focus more into my career and personal life goals.
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