Yes, that is me pictured standing on the Pika Glacier at the base of Denali, the highest mountain in North America in Alaska. I had just circled Denali and landed on the glacier in a prop plane. It cost me $500. A cost that made everyone in my traveling group of six couples turn down this unforgettable exhilarating experience because of the expense. I am not rich. I was never wealthy and have worked hard for many years to obtain what I have. Yes, it was expensive, but not prohibitive. I am not advocating to be fiscally irresponsible. In the scheme of a lifetime $500 is nothing and not an amount of money that would put me or my family in financial danger. So, I signed up and went.
Life is an unpredictable journey, full of twists and turns that we can never truly anticipate. It’s a rollercoaster ride, and the only thing that’s certain is that we won’t be taking any material possessions with us when we leave. It’s not the things we accumulate that define us; it’s the experiences we have.
One such experience that comes to mind is landing on the Pika Glacier at the bottom of Denali in a prop plane. It’s an experience that can’t be bought or sold, and it’s one that will stay with you forever. It was certainly worth the $500, and much more! It was one spectacular FIRST for me!
The Pika Glacier is a remote and pristine landscape, untouched by human intervention. It’s a place that very few people have had the opportunity to visit, and even fewer have had the chance to land on. It’s a place that you can only reach by air, and when you’re up there, you feel like you’re in another world.
As you approach the glacier, the view is breathtaking. The snow-covered mountains in the background and the turquoise blue of the glacier are a sight to behold. The sheer size of the glacier is hard to comprehend, and you can’t help but feel small in comparison.
When the pilot begins the descent, your heart starts racing. The plane bounces and sways as it makes its way towards the ice, and you can feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins. When the wheels finally touch down on the glacier, it’s a moment that I’ll never forget. You’ve just landed on one of the most remote places on earth, and it’s a feeling of pure exhilaration.
As you step out of the plane and onto the snow and ice, you realize just how lucky you are to be there. It’s a humbling experience, and it puts things into perspective. All the worries and stresses of everyday life seem insignificant when you’re standing on a glacier in the middle of nowhere. The vistas are awe inspiring. You just take a deep breath and take it all in.
You can’t take it with you. The experiences we have in life are the only things that truly matter. They shape who we are, and they stay with us long after we’re gone. When we look back on our lives, it won’t be the possessions we’ve accumulated that we’ll remember; it’ll be the moments that took our breath away and the relationships we have cultivated. So, go out and live life to the fullest. Take risks, have adventures, and make memories that will last a lifetime. You won’t regret it. And when your time comes, you’ll leave this world knowing that you lived a life filled with experiences that were truly worth having.
What is your $500 decision? Will you spare the expense? Will you invest in a life-long memorable experience?