Saying " yes" to new adventures.

 For those of you that know me, you know I am NOT a risk taker.   I don't bungie jump, nor leap out of perfectly good airplanes simply hoping a thin layer of material slows my plummet.   But I do take risks in building new relationships with strangers, and in job roles.  Each and every new job opportunity that had me thinking " I've never done that before, but I believe I can do it" caused me to say "yes".  ( Caveat here: no one has ever asked me to perform brain surgery, and I would have said no.)  The times people have asked me to do thing far outside my skillset, it has been a clear " no " and a referral to someone I thought might be qualified. 

But that's not even why I wanted to talk about today, I wanted to talk about saying "yes" to an adventure. 

I've been enjoying semi-retirement over the past 15 months, reading, hiking, going to the lake, working as a strategic advisor for a client or two, and mostly spending each morning volunteering for the local Habitat for Humanity.   Well, a few weeks back on the job site, one of the volunteers named Dave asked me a question.  He said he had his #1 bucket list trip planned. He had made all the arrangements, and wanted to know if I'd like to go with him. ( Dave and I have been volunteering together for about a year now, but other than that we don't know each other)

Without pause, I said " Yes. 100%. I'm committed to go. Sign me up."  where he replied "Great!" and my next question followed shortly... " Dave, where are we going??"

3 days later I find myself booking a trekking excursion in the Himalayas.  Truthfully I am so geographically challenged I wasn't sure even what country I was going to until I booked flights the next day.   I don't feel so bad at not knowing geography, because when I told my neighbor about a trip to Nepal, he had to tell me how wrong his wife was because she thought Nepal was in Italy.  He said he corrected her, that she was wrong and Nepal was an island... somewhere.(also wrong)   Nepal is a small country sandwiched between India on its southern border and Tibet to it's North.  For reference here is a map

Well, that was 3 weeks ago, and I depart for my adventure Thursday April 13th ( 2 days from writing this post) 

Since booking, let's just say that Amazon has made many deliveries to my home, as I prepare for the adventure ahead.  I've also spent more time outdoors hiking our modest hills in Hot Springs National Park, which are of no significance to the 17,575 Gokyo-Ri

Here is a panorama atop Gokyo-Ri. (I'm imagining me standing where this person is in the photo)

Photo by: By Boy.pockets - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12315006

Even though I fly out on Thursday April 13th, I don't get to Katmandu until sometime on Saturday April 15th. Once I get there here is the itinerary from the sherpa company:

Day 1 Arrive in Kathmandu (1400 meters)

Upon your arrival in the Kathmandu airport after completing your custom formalities Visa, etc. pick up your luggage and look for our airport representative from Himalaya Discovery Adventures, who will display your name on the board at the arrival gate. You will be greeted by our representative and transferred to the hotel by private tourist vehicle. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 2 Free in Kathmandu for sightseeing and pre trip briefing and gear check.

Today is free for sightseeing in Kathmandu. You may wish to visit Durbar Square in the heart of the old city where the old Royal Palace, with its intricate woodcarving is located. The whole area is a maze of temples and images. Leading away from the square in all directions are narrow alleys, full of the most amazing variety of shops and stalls. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites including the historic Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ Swayambhunath and Buddhists shrine Buddhanath which is one of the largest Stupas in the world.

There will also be a full trip briefing today with gear check. In case you need to hire or buy equipment locally there will be time to do this today. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 3 Fly to Lukla from Manthali, and then trek to Phakding (2651 m)

Everest Base Camp trek begins on the second day with a scenic flight from Manthali airport to Lukla Tenzing Hillary airport (2,804 m).

Upon arrival at Lukla, you will meet our porters who will be carrying your bags. The Everest Base Camp hike starts after a short glimpse of the village of Lukla, where you will pass the village of Chaurikharka and then descend towards Dudh Koshi and Ghat. From there, you follow the trails to Phakding via the bank of the Dudh Koshi river and stay overnight at Phakding.

Manthali airport can be reached by road from Kathmandu within 4 to 6 hours drive. This means you need to wake up early in the morning around 2:30 am to take a drive and catch your Lukla flight from Manthali early in the morning. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 4 Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters) 5.30 hrs

We continue trekking along the banks of the Dudhkosi, crossing this majestic river many times on exciting suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering Everest National Park, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views. Namche Bazaar known as the Gateway to Everest which is home to many quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, Money exchange, internet cafe and a bakery. Namche is one of the biggest villages along the whole Everest trail. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 5 Acclimatization day.

We will spend a day here in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning of the air. A short trek to a museum celebrating the traditional customs of the Sherpa people. Today, we hike up the Syangboche Airport, and around Everest View Hotel. From this point, we have rewarding views of the Himalayas with a stunning sunrise or sunset over the panorama of the Khumbu peaks. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 6 Trek to Phorste Thanga (3680 meters) 5 hrs.

Today, the trail climbs steeply out of valley through rhododendron forest, juniper and large conifers start to appear as the elevation increases making trekking beautiful in spring. The trail passes through Yak Kharkas and summer settlements. The views of Ama Dablam, Khumbi La and Tawache are magnificent throughout the day. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 7 Trek to Machhermo (4150 meters) 5 hrs.

The trail climbs a ridge for an excellent view both down the valley to Kengtega and up towards Cho Oyu and descend to a river and again climbs steep to the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpz glacier. We will reach at Machherma by early noon. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 8 Trek to Gokyo (4790 meters) 5.30 hrs.

Today the trek takes us at one of our final destination, Gokyo (4790m). We will make this camp our base for 2 nights as we will have couple of hiking and sightseeing trips around Gokyo. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 9 Hike up to Gokyo Ri (5483 meters) then back to Gokyo. 5 hrs.

Today, early in the morning we have steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at elevation of 5483 meters, ample rewards to anyone that attempts this trip. There are stunning views of the supper Gokyo Valley, the massive Ngozumpa Glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the whole Khumbu Himalayas, such as giants as Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang can be seen.

Those who discover the glacier and Gokyo peak are rewarded. This day we have for acclimatization and after noon back to the camp. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 10 Trek to Dole (4200 meters) 6 hrs.

Following same trail down, we will make our descent to Dole. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 11 Trek to Namche Bazaar via Khumjung village (3780 meters) 5 hrs.

Descend to Namche Bazaar via typical Sherpa village of Khumjung. Leaving the mountains behind us our descent continues back to the town of Namche Bazaar at elevation of (3440 meters). Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 12 Trek to Lukla (2886 meters) 6 hrs.

Finally, we return to Lukla where the trek started, which will seem like a lifetime ago. Enjoying time to reflect on the trek as a group and the personal achievement of all those who took part. Also giving you time to discover the town. Overnight at guesthouse.

Day 13 Fly back to Kathmandu.

Enjoying your last glimpse of the mountains you have recently visited for one last time on the 35 minute Scenic flight back to Kathmandu. You can rest and relax throughout the day. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 14 Free day / Fly to home.

It’s also spare day in case of bad weather in Lukla. If you get interested to take some gifts from Nepal for friends and relatives, visit to some nearby shops or go out in Thamel for typical Nepalese goods. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 15 Fly to home.

The trip concludes! We will drop you to the airport according to your flight schedule.

As you might imagine, my head and heart are spinning.  Thinking of all the potential for excitement, and potential issues along the way. Am I packing enough?  Too much? Can I physically make this multi-day hiking trek? Will I be able to breathe at 17,575 feet ( 5,357 m) above sea level? 

And, in preparation, I have read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer which is a tale of a fateful disaster trip summiting Mt. Everest.  I'm not going up to Mt Everest, but I'll be in the same valley and have an excellent view of Everest.  Also Gokyo-Ri is about the same altitude as the Everest base camp. It may seem weird to some, but the book is excellent and is teaching me a lot about the Nepal people, the sherpa culture  and what NOT to do! 

I am beyond excited saying yes to this adventure. 

Now, let's hope my legs and lungs take me where I want to go!   I'll try my best to take enough photos to share when I return. 

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If you want to read a bit more about the trip we have booked, and the sherpa company, here is the link to Himalaya Discovery Adventures description of our trip. 

Bending nails

Over the past months I've enjoyed volunteering each morning building a house with my local Habitat for Humanity. The schedule is a bit odd, as they work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 7am till noon. We started on this house the week of October 3rd with 2 weeks of their women's build " Heels to Hammers" with a slab. As of writing this we now have 2 stories built with all interior walls framed, trusses set, roof is on, windows are in and almost all siding is complete. 

With all volunteers, (and only working 4 mornings a week)this build is moving pretty quickly. Each day a new batch of volunteers comes in and does what they can to help a family to own their very first home. I have really enjoyed the focus, the fun and the passion of all these people!  There is a sense of accomplishment each day, where you can look and physically see the outcome of your effort.  

There is, however one thing I am starting to notice, there are a LOT of bent nails.   And I mean a LOT. 

All of us volunteers are swinging those hammers with gusto, making progress towards a new home for someone else, but many times those attempts at progress mean some bent nails. Sometimes, it may take 3, 4 or 5 attempts to get one nail in place correctly. What's beautiful, is the job foreman response to all these bent nails - is to cheer people on.  He realizes no one is an expert nail driver, and even if they were, bent nails happen.  Bent nails are a sign of trying, of progress and of learning. 

This made me think a lot of organizations/teams and how we view things we try but just don't work out.  

Trying

When I contrast a bent nail to a un-used nail, The bent nail represents an attempt.  While the new nails may be prettier, they are only representative of potential in the future. So many times I've seen individuals be blocked by fear and never try something. They may have a burning passion for something ( or a new product idea) and yet they don't take a chance and try to see if that idea is good of not. Organizations may want to try a new way of working, only to make little progress or stop before ever getting started.  I know I've had my share of attempts at things that didn't work ( and have the bent nails to prove it). Luckily I was surrounded by a team that celebrated trying to do something new, and grew because of it. 

Progress

In order to make progress, something must happen. I know this is ridiculous to say, but I've seen time and time where leaders want to move organizations forward while staying the same. In knowledge work, we rarely know with any degree of accuracy what exactly needs to be done/built/changed/delivered. So in order to make progress, things that didn't go well would be evidence of making progress towards a goal.  In the pursuit of delivering value, there should be a trail of bent nails. If you aren't willing to have some failures, you aren't really wanting progress.  

Learning

It's been said over and over again, but we learn by doing. By making repeated attempts at something and failing, we will get better. Each nail bent is progress towards the goal. Humans need to be able to learn to grow, and this applies to organizations as well.  In a recent organization we went through a transformation into a design we all felt was going to be successful, only to learn we were wrong. To be clear, I was wrong. But the beauty was that only after working that way for a few months did the learning begin to happen, and we made serious progress to a organizational design that was far better. 

No matter if you are building a product for a customer, responsible for your organizations direction and design, or simply building a home for those in need - enjoy the journey. We all stress far to much trying to be "perfect" when we really need to simply move forward. 

Note: I also highly encourage you to spend time giving back to an organization as a volunteer. Please look around your local area for a cause you enjoy and give generously. Yes, give money, but I'd encourage you to give time. The personal returns of physically being present and giving of your time are far greater than only mailing in a check.