Some things are better-appreciated first-hand. For the past couple weeks, I've been "trekking" my way up to 17,598 feet above sea level. At one point, we ventured up a nearby peak that topped us out at 18,514 feet. The lung-busting lack of oxygen is simply (and literally) breathtaking. We moved at a snail's pace and even that was exhausting. All that said, the hundred or so miles hiked to and from Everest base camp were filled with trials, challenges, illness, excitement and relief.
I say all that simply to say (in a not-so-subtle segue) that those things that challenge us and push us to our limits are very often worth the extra effort. We have talked before about the challenges of selling a home in winter. We have...