Whoever said variety is the spice of life is wrong. Challenges are the spice of life.
Anyway, this is my motto after I broke into the real estate market in June of 2007. The road less traveled is the one that I usually take, however it looks as though it was the road that 10,000 other agents took as well. Climbing the real estate mountain is a test of patience and sanity, where you truly find your limits and push yourself to the edge. Similarly, I found the same was true on my epic journey climbing Mt. Hood
Apparently there are two 4’s in one day! The wind is howling as we break camp on Mt. Hood and I’m stoked as we ascend to “hogs-back”, an increasingly steep terrain surrounded by crevasses, sheer rock faces and giant boulders. The landscape seems unfamiliar, with the stars shining brightly on the snow packed landscape I feel as I am exploring uncharted territory on the moon. I can feel the excitement with every step as the anticipation of summiting draws near. Timing is crucial and we need to hit the summit before the sun rises. The challenge is maintaining a steady pace. You may cover 1000 vertical feet in an hour, or you might find comfort on bended knee sucking wind until you have the energy to stand again. 
My legs burning and muscles aching, I finally worked up to 10,000 feet to the infamous “Devil's Kitchen”, a heated volcanic rock dome that spews sulfur vapors searing our already exhausted lungs. The sun is rising now, and with each passing hour comes the danger of snow melting, allowing the massive boulders to break free from the ice. I am in the direct fall line and have few escape routes as we approach the final leg to hogs back on our way to the steepest part of the climb.
With novice climbers well ahead just hitting the entrance to the summit called the “pearly gates”, we notice disaster heading straight for us. With several basketball sized boulders barreling towards us at an unimaginable speed, there is very little time to react. We run as fast as we can along the top of a steep cornice with crampons and gear strapped to our backs. We narrowly avoid tragedy by several feet, as the boulders crash down onto the glacier with an enormous “thud”. It is here where you have to make the tough decision to forge through or turn back and fight again another day. With only 1000 feet remaining to summit, we make the smart decision and turn back.
I began
thinking how climbing Mt. Hood parallels my Real Estate career and I found a lot of similarities. Constant uphill climbs, so many that you just need to stop, take a knee and catch your breath. Not only is the environment difficult to manage, so too is the competition that re-directs your route. Dodging dangerous obstacles and dealing with harsh conditions you must have the determination and will to keep trucking. Having come close to the summit only to turn around in the 11th hour teaches patience and good decision making. Even though dangers are marked, you never know what to expect from the mountain, variables are always changing, just as our clients and the market.
Though we didn’t summit, it was the journey and the experience that you work for, each step is a reminder of perseverance and determination. How far are you willing to push yourself for success? 
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