So…Why Everest?
People ask me all the time: “Why Everest?” Why pour so much time, energy, and money into something so dangerous, so… optional?
The answer isn’t simple. It’s not just about climbing a mountain. It’s about answering a call that’s been growing louder for years…
The First Spark
In 2016, I was sitting in a cubicle at my entry-level marketing job researching Snapchat campaigns when I came across Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards’ Everest No Filter climb on Snapchat.
At first, I was fascinated by their storytelling—two climbers sharing real-time updates from the tallest peak in the world. This was groundbreaking at the time! But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about their content, and something inside me shifted—just ask my best friend!
I didn’t just want to watch their story. I wanted to live it. Everest planted itself in my heart that year, even though I didn’t believe I’d ever be the kind of person who could make it there. I wasn’t disciplined. I wasn’t athletic. I’ve never considered myself particularly tough—I cry ALL the time! My parents signed me up for every sport in middle school… and I quit every single one.
So… I buried the dream. I hiked. I explored. I chased adventure in ways that felt more attainable. But Everest never completely went away.
Kilimanjaro Changed Everything
Fast forward to 2025. I was standing on top of Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa.
The climb was grueling and beautiful and overwhelming. When I came down, I swore: “Never again!”
But one of my fellow hikers laughed and said, “It’s probably like childbirth—you forget the pain and only remember the beauty.” She was right.
That climb, and a deeply spiritual Reiki experience (shoutout Rainbow Dawn!)—changed me. It proved to me that I could become more than the stories I’d been telling myself for years.
For the first time, I felt a glimpse of what might be possible. And that quiet dream I’d stuffed down for nearly a decade roared back to life.
Why Everest?
Everest isn’t the most technical mountain. It’s actually not even the “hardest” or mostly deadly. But it’s the mountain. The tallest point on Earth. A symbol recognized across cultures and generations.
For me, Everest represents transformation. It’s a physical and spiritual journey—a quest to become the version of myself I’ve always wanted to be.
Slowly, steadily, one step at a time. This isn’t about bragging rights or bucket lists. It’s about honoring a call that won’t let me go. To ignore it now would feel like betraying the truest part of myself.
Why Share It Publicly?
Some dreams are too big to keep quiet. Speaking my Everest goal out loud makes me accountable. It forces me to keep showing up, even on the days when doubt feels heavier than my pack.
And maybe, by sharing this, I can give someone else permission to believe in their big dream, too—whatever their “Everest” might be.
The Journey Ahead
This will take time, patience, and a whole lot of “Pole Pole,” Swahili for Slowly, slowly—the motto on Kilimanjaro.
I don’t know how long it will take me to get there (hence the name), but I do know this: I’m all in. And when I finally step onto the roof of the world, it won’t just be about reaching the summit. It will be about every step it took to become the person who could.