Week 51: The Twenty Trekkers

My company sponsors an annual fundraising trek on behalf of our charity partner, Special Olympics. This year, twenty-one people (including me) raised $50k by trekking along the Great Wall of China for five consecutive days. It was about 40 miles, close to 100,000 steps, and many hundreds of flights up, up, up!

The scenery was beautiful, the weather was thankfully mild, and the wall was challenging but doable. The leaders were excellent. But what really made the trip perfect for me was my fellow trekkers. Ranging in age from 24-56 and hailing from countries around the globe, we came together for a week of adventure and bonding.

Throughout the trek, everyone walked and talked with different people, getting to know one another. Everyone was friendly and we quickly became a team. It's amazing where the conversation goes when you're away from the office, trying to go up steps that measure well up your thigh....

I am so grateful to every one of my fellow trekkers: the super-fit Norwegians who supported less experienced hikers; the numerous people at a crossroads in their lives who shared their personal stories; the woman I call the uber-helper; the jokester who kept people laughing...the list goes on.

The experience was wonderful all around, and I have twenty people to thank for making it so great.