Aconcagua January 2024

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✨ THE WEEKLY QUESTION When was the last time you surprised yourself? Sometimes we don't realize what we're capable of until we step outside our comfort zone and try something new. Maybe you faced a fear, took a chance, learned something new, or accomplished something you never thought possible. It doesn't have to be something extraordinary. Sometimes the smallest steps lead to the biggest discoveries. And suddenly you find yourself thinking... "Wow, I didn't know I had that in me!" ❤️ Those are the moments when we begin to discover another version of ourselves. 💭 So tell me, when was the last time YOU surprised yourself? CAN’T — The belief that holds us back. MUST — The decision to try. DID — The discovery of what we're capable of. #CantMustDid #TheWeeklyQuestion #DiscoverYourStrength #NeverTooLate #PersonalGrowth

An incredible full moon setting over the foothills. 🌕 Some mornings make you stop and simply be grateful. ❤️ #GratefulForTheMoment #FullMoon #IdahoBeauty #MorningMagic #CantMustDid

11 of 52: Nick Schlekeway 52 People Who Made a Difference in My Life Not everyone who makes a difference in your life remains part of it. Nick believed in me and gave me an opportunity within his brokerage that changed the trajectory of my life. He trusted me with the responsibility of becoming a designated broker, an experience that eventually gave me the confidence and knowledge to open my own brokerage. After several years, we disagreed, and our professional relationship ended under difficult circumstances. That does not erase the positive impact Nick had on my life or the gratitude I feel for the opportunity he gave me. I continue to respect and admire Nick’s success, growth, and the impact he has made within the REALTOR® community. Gratitude does not require us to rewrite the past or agree about everything. We can recognize the good someone brought into our lives while accepting that our paths eventually went in different directions. Nick, thank you for believing in me, trusting me, and opening a door that helped me become the businesswoman and broker I am today. I will always be grateful for that opportunity. Sometimes we simply have to agree to disagree, carry the lessons forward, and continue growing. ❤️ #52People #PeopleWhoMadeADifference #Gratitude #LifeLessons #CantMustDid

🏔️ What if the next adventure isn't about where you go, but who you become? Sometimes we get so comfortable with the life we know that we forget there might be another version of ourselves waiting to be discovered. Stronger. Braver. More curious. More alive. ✨ I never imagined that stepping outside my comfort zone would lead me to discover a part of myself I didn't even know existed. And I've started wondering... What if we created opportunities to discover that strength within ourselves? To step away from our everyday lives, experience something new, challenge what we believe is possible, and perhaps find a renewed sense of purpose. Not everyone needs to climb a mountain. But I believe everyone has a mountain within them. ⛰️ CAN’T — The belief that holds us back. MUST — The decision to discover what's possible. DID — The person we become along the way. I'm dreaming about something new. Something that goes beyond my own journey. ❤️ And I'm curious... What if your next adventure introduced you to a version of yourself you haven't met yet? Would you say YES? 🌟 #CantMustDid #FindYourStrength #DiscoverYourself #AdventureWithPurpose #NeverTooLate

✨ THE WEEKLY QUESTION ✨ What would your life look like if you stopped letting fear make your decisions? Fear has a way of keeping us comfortable, but comfort doesn't always mean happiness or fulfillment. What opportunities, adventures, or dreams are waiting on the other side of fear? ❤️ Fear doesn't have to disappear. You just have to decide not to let it lead. 🏔️ CAN’T — The fear that holds us back. 🔥 MUST — The decision to move forward. ✨ DID — The life waiting on the other side. Don't let fear write your story. You have the power to change it. CAN’T. MUST. DID. #CantMustDid #DanceWithFear #LiveLifeToTheFullest #BelieveInYourself #TheWeeklyQuestion

Life is a gift. ❤️ Sometimes it’s the quiet moments, a beautiful sunrise, and Duke by my side that remind me how much I have to be grateful for. These are the moments that truly matter. 🐾🌄 #LifeIsAGift #GratefulHeart #LiveLifeToTheFullest #CantMustDid #MomentsThatMatter

🗻 **IT'S HERE!!!** ❤️ My 2027 Women of Mountaineering Calendar arrived today, and WOW! How cool is it to be featured alongside these incredible, badass women! 💪🏔️ Beyond grateful and honored to be among them! I could be their grandma! 😂 But that's the beauty of it. Age is just a number, and adventure doesn't come with an expiration date! 🎉 Keep your eyes open for our **Calendar Celebration & Signing Party in December!** Details coming soon! 📅 You can still order your calendar! Proceeds benefit the Summit Scholarship, an initiative of the GEA Alliance, helping the next generation of women mountaineers chase their own impossible dreams. Because the impossible IS possible! ❤️ 👉 https://www.summitscholarship.org/store/p/2027-women-of-mountaineering-calendar-preorder #WomenOfMountaineering #CantMustDid #SummitScholarship #WomenWhoClimb #TheImpossibleIsPossible

10 of 52: Tante Rosl 52 People Who Made a Difference in My Life Tante Rosl was my mom’s sister. Our family was small, and she was the only aunt I ever knew. She was also my second mom. I was the youngest of the children, and she always looked after me with a heart of gold. She baked the best German cakes, and one piece was never enough. You had to try one piece of each, which usually meant eating three! She lived in Hirschau, a small town in Bavaria that still holds a special place in my soul. I spent countless summer vacations there, roaming through the forests and searching for mushrooms. When we visited on weekends, Tante Rosl would send me to the local bakery in the morning to pick up frische Semmeln, fresh rolls. Being trusted to go by myself made me feel so grown up and special. Toward the end of my parents’ lives, Tante Rosl stood beside me as I dealt with the German courts and government. She helped me stand up for what was right during an incredibly difficult time. Sadly, she passed away six months after my dad and six months before my mom. Within one year, I lost the three people who had been my parents. Tante Rosl, I will always be grateful for your beautiful heart, your strength to stand up for what was right, and the way you gave so freely without ever expecting anything in return. Your love will always be part of me. ❤️ #52People #PeopleWhoMadeADifference #TanteRosl #FamilyLove #CantMustDid

CAN'T. MUST. DID. What if the only thing standing between you and something amazing is a few moments of discomfort? Aconcagua. 12,000 feet. We had been trekking for days. Hot, windy, dusty, and definitely no showers! Then there it was. A mountain creek fed by melting glaciers. 🥶 Freezing cold. But oh, so enticing! I knew exactly how incredible I would feel afterward. Clean. Refreshed. Reenergized. But taking that first step into the icy water? BRUTAL! And isn't that just like life? We spend so much time avoiding discomfort. We hesitate, make excuses, and sometimes walk away from experiences because we're afraid of how uncomfortable they might feel. But here's what I've learned. Discomfort is temporary. Regret can last much longer. Sometimes the hardest part isn't the experience itself. It's making the decision to take that first step. And what's waiting on the other side? Growth. Confidence. Joy. And sometimes just the most amazing feeling of being alive! CAN'T. It's too cold. I can't do this. MUST. Take that first step. DID. And it was worth every freezing second! 💭 What discomfort are you avoiding that might be standing between you and something extraordinary? CAN'T. MUST. DID. #CantMustDid #EmbraceDiscomfort #GrowthMindset #TheImpossibleIsPossible #LifeBeyondComfort

THE WEEKLY QUESTION ✨ What are you willing to change to make room for the life you want? We fill our days with commitments, routines and expectations. But are we leaving room for what matters to us? Maybe it starts with one habit. Saying no. Making time for a dream you keep putting last. You don’t have to change everything today. What is one thing you can do differently this week? ❤️ CAN’T. MUST. DID. #CantMustDid #TheWeeklyQuestion #MakeRoomForYourDreams #LiveWithPurpose #OneStepAtATime

What if your past doesn’t decide your future, but the choices you make today do? ✨ I couldn’t change losing Pat. But I could choose how I would live from that day forward. I had no idea where that choice would take me. You don’t have to know the whole path. Just take the first step. 🏔️❤️ Can’t. Must. Did. #CantMustDid #7SummitsX70 #TheImpossibleIsPossible #ChooseYourFuture #OneStepAtATime

9 of 52: Papshe 52 People Who Made a Difference in My Life Nuru Sherpa, or Papshe, his nickname meaning “uncle,” was my guide on Everest. He called me Didi, meaning “older sister.” Papshe spent many years as a Buddhist monk before becoming a mountain guide. What makes him so special is how he brings his Buddhist beliefs onto the mountain. He prays, sings, and burns incense, creating a sense of peace in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. At first, I had a difficult time understanding him. Over time, we learned to speak the same language without always needing words. He was so attentive that he knew when I felt strong and when I was struggling. We spent six weeks together and created an unspoken bond that will last a lifetime. I placed my life in Papshe’s hands and trusted him completely. I trusted him to know when to go, when to wait, and when it was not safe to continue. Papshe, you made Everest possible for me. You guided me safely to the top of the world and back home again. Thank you for your wisdom, your patience, your prayers, and the quiet strength you shared with me every step of the way. 🙏🏔️❤️ #52People #PeopleWhoMadeADifference #Papshe #NuruSherpa #MountEverest

Do I still have doubts? Of course. Even after standing on top of Everest, I still face moments when I wonder, “Can I really do this?” What has changed is how I respond. I can feel uncertain and still take the next step. Train. Work. Ask for help. Try again. CAN’T is a belief. MUST is a decision. DID is the life shaped by that decision. You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. What is one step you can take today? ❤️ #CantMustDid #BelieveInYourself #OneStepAtATime #BeyondYourComfortZone #TheImpossibleIsPossible

🏔️ THE WEEKLY QUESTION What dream are you willing to work for, even when you don’t know how it will happen? I don’t have every piece figured out for my next two summits. But I keep training, working, and taking steps toward them. You don’t need all the answers to begin. What’s one step you can take toward your dream this week? ❤️ CAN’T. MUST. DID. #CantMustDid #TheWeeklyQuestion #DreamBig #SevenSummits #OneStepAtATime

Another day to improve my conditioning! 💪🏔️ 9.26 miles, 3,500 feet of elevation gain, up to 8,100 feet, in 3 hours and 47 minutes round trip. My two training partners came along: Duke 🐾 and my gallon water triplets. 💧💧💧 Duke keeps me moving. The triplets keep me humble. Both know how to push me! 😂 One step. One breath. Just don’t stop. Can’t. Must. Did. #CantMustDid #7SummitsX70 #MountainTraining #IdahoHiking #HikingWithDogs

8 of 52: Suza 52 People Who Made a Difference in My Life Suza is the sister I never had. It feels as though we knew each other before we were even born. Our dads worked together, and we grew up sharing school pranks, ski team competition, and more than a few crazy adventures. She had the hairstyle I always wanted, so of course, I cut my hair just like hers. After high school, our lives took us in different directions. I moved to the United States, and Suza remained in Austria. We may go years without seeing each other, but it never matters. The moment we are together, we simply pick up where we left off. There has always been an invisible thread of love and support between us. Even now, in our 60s, we become two kids again whenever we are together. Suza, you have taught me to trust with an open heart and never completely grow up. Live like a kid. Have fun. Be silly. Be happy. Be crazy. Most of all, always be there for each other. This special bond is for life. ❤️ #52People #PeopleWhoMadeADifference #SistersByHeart #LifelongFriendship #ChildhoodFriends

🧗‍♀️ FIRST TIME CLIMBING ON REAL ROCK! There is something very different about climbing outside. You have to trust the anchor. You have to trust the person belaying you. And even with that trust… you REALLY don’t want to slip. 😂 But once I started climbing, something happened. The world got quiet. I became one with the rock. I stopped hearing everything around me. It was just me, the wall, my next move…and my breath. My breathing became almost meditative—so similar to the way I breathe when I’m climbing at high altitude. Slow. Intentional. Present. I was completely immersed in the moment. ❤️ I climbed a 5.6 beginner route. On my third route, I was convinced it had to be a 5.7 because it felt so much harder. I was SO proud of myself. Turns out…it was another 5.6. 😂 But you know what? It didn’t matter. The number wasn’t the accomplishment. The accomplishment was stepping outside my comfort zone, trying something completely different, challenging myself—and feeling completely ALIVE. What a special experience. And yep…I’m hooked. 🧗‍♀️🔥 There will definitely be more outdoor sport climbing in my future. Next goal: 5.7 ➡️ 5.8. 💪 ➡️Keep stepping outside your comfort zone. ➡️Keep trying something that scares you a little. ➡️Keep finding the things that make you feel alive. Life is meant to be LIVED. ❤️ Can’t. Must. Did. #CantMustDid #RockClimbing #SportClimbing #ClimbingLife #OutsideYourComfortZone

🏔️ The Weekly Question What are you still waiting for permission to do? Sometimes we wait for someone to tell us it’s okay. ✨ Okay to change direction. ✨ Okay to start over. ✨ Okay to take the risk. ✨ Okay to want something more. But what if the permission you’ve been waiting for is your own? ❤️ You don’t need everyone to understand your dream. You just need to decide it matters enough to pursue. 💪 So this week, ask yourself: What would I do if I stopped waiting for permission? 🤔 🙄 Can’t is a belief. 🔥 Must is a decision. 🏔️ Did is the life shaped by that decision. Can’t. Must. Did. #WeeklyQuestion #CantMustDid #DreamBig #TakeTheRisk #ChooseYourself