Last Monday, I completed the NBC-HWC exam, something I’d been working toward for the past fifteen months. On Wednesday, my daughter, my dog Ajax, and I enjoyed a celebration hike to Granite Lakes. How do you celebrate your achievements? For me, celebrating milestones through immersion in nature has always been a source of joy and rejuvenation.
The Importance of Celebrating Milestones
Whether I’m commemorating a birthday or good news, my favorite reward is a celebration hike in the mountains. Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows this is not a new idea. What IS new, however, is my current reason for celebration.
In April 2023, I enrolled in a health coach certification program through Precision Nutrition. I’d done something similar seven years earlier. This time, however, I continued beyond the initial 20 weeks to complete the science units, coaching mentorship, oral exam, and the four-hour-long board-certifying national exam.
While I won’t receive the exam results until mid-September, I am nevertheless grateful for the journey. I will always remember the wonderful people I met through the program. In March, I offered clients, colleagues, and friends free coaching to complete 50 coaching sessions. We had so much fun that I toyed with the idea of offering free coaching to whoever might benefit.
I could think of no better way than to take my daughter and my dog to enjoy a fun-filled, beautiful summer day at an alpine lake. Nature is my ultimate reward.
TAKEAWAY
How could you celebrate milestones (not involving food)? What might be fun to try if you wanted to do something involving nature? A trip to the beach, a sunset, viewing wildlife, or visiting a lake, stream, or waterfall can all be magical moments. And they’re great ways to expand your community awareness and life experiences.
The Symbolism of Reaching Granite Lake
Six weeks ago, I tried the same hike with Ajax on a beautiful early morning in June. I could hear the creek before I saw it. Ajax took a few steps into the creek and started to slip on a large rock mostly covered in water. He’s a pretty courageous little fellow. I know it’s too much for him whenever he balks. Instead, we headed for the ridge above Thompson Lake. Last week, however, we reached the lake and spent 45 minutes wading.
Likewise, the “first-time” obstacles I faced during the coaching program included actively participating in mandatory breakout rooms (I like to lurk with my camera off, which was frowned upon in the course); being mentored by two different coaches; passing an unnerving oral exam; and sitting for the final four-hour exam. In April during a birding trip in Texas, I almost talked myself OUT of even registering.
Regrets
The turning point stands out for me. In the car, my husband asked a simple question: “If you don’t take the exam in July, will you have any regrets?”
I regret not finishing my middle-grade novel, something I spent several years on. No need to make the same mistake twice. I swallowed all the doubt and fear that had just about convinced me that taking the final exam didn’t matter. As soon as we returned to Seattle, I registered for the July test and started to study.
While I hope I won’t have to “go back” and retake the exam, I now know that had I not gone as far as I could, I would have had regrets. What’s more, I realize how important it is for me to return to my middle-grade novel — no more regrets.
TAKEAWAY
Think about something you’re struggling with right now. A year from now, if you don’t pursue your goal with everything you have, will you regret it? If your answer is YES, then come up with several tiny action steps you might take to move forward. For me, marketing is my Achilles heel. Even though I feel stymied around growing my business, I know that every blog post connects me with someone, so I keep writing.
Quality Time with Loved Ones
We had additional reasons to enjoy a celebration hike. My daughter set a new personal record for her longest hike of the season (8.8 miles). She recently earned a 96% on a physics midterm (in Quantum Mechanics, no less.) She received confirmation that she has been accepted to help U.W. freshmen move into their dorms in September. And wading in balmy Granite Lake for 45 minutes? Priceless.
Even better, on the trip back to the car, we discovered several large patches of fresh alpine huckleberries and blueberries. Everything tastes better with fresh blueberries! Add to that a huge single scoop of Baskin Robbins ice cream in a waffle cone and the day can’t get any better. More mother-daughter memories to add to an ever-growing collection.
TAKEAWAY
Jot down 3-5 of your stand-out memories during your favorite celebrations. What makes them memorable? Was it what you were doing, or the people you were with? What would you say is your dominant sense? Are there themes you can identify that help you determine what “celebration” means to you? For me, hiking combines all five senses — tasting ripe berries, smelling the pine and cedar trees, feeling the lake lapping at my toes, hearing 21 species of birds, and seeing such wonderful scenery from the placid lake to the raging creek, the hues of green, banana slugs, and flowers. Anyone looking for a mindfulness treasure trove will find it in nature.
The Healing Power of Nature
Perhaps that’s why doing a celebration hike feels so special to me. I become mindful and present in the moment. And when I do get stuck in my head, I revisit positive thoughts about my accomplishments. After spending so much time worrying about the course and studying for the exam, during the hike, all I had to do was get my dog and daughter to and from the lake. Nature is our happy place.
For 8.8 miles, I counted stream crossings and listened for birds. We watched slugs sliming their way across the trail. We tasted 4 kinds of ripe berries fresh off the bushes, still warm from the sun. As I waded, all I thought about was keeping my footing and holding tightly to my cell phone. And the reverberating echo when my daughter whooped her joy? Unparalleled. A trip to the mountains resets me so I can focus on whatever comes next back home.
TAKEAWAY
Think about the last three times you were immersed in your five senses. Can you recreate those images? What were you smelling? hearing? feeling? tasting? seeing that was unusual or memorable? Every time I visit the mountains, I see or experience something new. Nature provides a feast for the senses in a way that I can’t get from habitual city life. Figure out when you can explore some greenspace near you, even for 15 minutes. You will come back refreshed.
Rejuvenation and Restoration
Consider your favorite ways to re-create yourself. Because when you are enjoying recreational activities in nature, you truly are “re-creating” yourself. I get to flood my five senses with fabulous natural details. Get into a more natural rhythm away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A celebration hike in nature can restore and rejuvenate you in fascinating new ways.
But even if you choose not to do a celebration hike, the next time you have good news or a birthday coming up, consider how much better it might be to incorporate nature. Then share it in the comments so we can all enjoy and grow and learn.