Z is Zugspitze

The Zugspitze is the tallest mountain in Germany.  It is on the border between Germany and Austria. Its peak measures 9,718 feet above sea level.  I visited The Zugspitze while on a family trip when I was in middle school. This blog was going to be about losing my purse there and not being able to go back and get it. It was going to be about how it was the first time I felt grown up in a bad way. The first time I experienced panic and fear. I didn’t know what else to write about and I needed a Z.

I needed a Z because I am almost finished with this A-Z challenge. But now I know what I will write about when I write about The Zugspitze. I will write about accomplishment.  I didn’t climb to the top of The Zugspitze, that’s not the kind of family I was ever a part of. We simply went to the visitor’s center, probably taking some sort of gondola up and witnessing spectacular views on the way. We didn’t work hard to get to the top, we simply paid a few Francs and were on our way.

I am sure several people have climbed to the top.  And it reminds me of a quote I heard from a guy I met traveling in Montezuma, Costa Rica- “The view from the top looks better when you’ve worked hard to get there.”  We appreciate things so much more when we’ve had to work hard to get there. I tell my ESL students all the time, “don’t translate. You’ll remember it more if you’ve worked hard to discover the answer.”

Our sense of achievement is directly related to our effort.  It is much more satisfying to complete something, reach a goal, finish a project when you know you worked hard, put your best effort into it and couldn’t have done more.

That’s kind of how I feel about this A-Z challenge. When I started out, I wasn’t even sure I could or would be able to do it. It was something I wanted to do to see if I could. Could I write a blog nearly every day for a month? Could I let go the idea that it needs to be perfect and edited and thought over for days? Could I simply write and put it out there day after day? Turns out I could. And I did. And it kind of feels like reaching the top of a mountain, looking down and appreciating where I’ve come even more because of the struggle it took.

I’m glad I did it. It feels great to start something and finish it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment I will carry with me. It lets me know I can do anything I set my mind to. I like to have reminders like that, little challenges that keep me going.  I am happy to be finished and able to focus my attention on other writing, namely, my novel which I have sadly neglected this month. I feel, however, that the brief hiatus will renew me and bring me back fresh to my novel, ready and raring to go.