On family vacations, I’d always far preferred the beach to the mountains. However, time chips away at even one’s most deeply-held prejudices. My years in Alaska began quietly entrenching in the corner of my mind the utter beauty of the rugged terrain.
It wasn’t merely the stunning vistas that changed me, although they did their part. It was what those mountain ranges, stretching far off into the horizon, represented: the unknown, the untouched, the uninhabited, the waiting to be explored.
My husband and I are more city types, yet during those few years, hiking in the mountains was one of our favourite leisure activities. It wasn’t all about reaching the top, either. In fact, we found it impossible to forge ahead without constantly turning to admire the changing scenery. The gradual shrinking of our town as we climbed higher, the tiny flowers under our feet, and the patch of snow still left unmelted in August all contributed to the charm of the hike.
At the top, we’d pause, admiring how far we’d come. And That’s where the fun began.
The hardest part of mountain hiking was never the climbing (although my husband, carrying our daughter, might disagree); it was the stopping. The going back. The turning around and never knowing what lay ahead.
It’s true. When we reached the summit, after looking down, we looked out at the long ridges of snow-capped mountain ranges. We couldn’t leave without investigating that funny-shaped crest, that hill over there. We needed to see just what lay beyond that valley; it wasn’t too far, just another half-hour hike. Once we’d reached that elusive point, though, we saw still more mountains, still more alluring peaks beckoning enticingly to our adventurous side. There was always something more to see.
This week, although far from the Alaskan mountains, I’m setting out on a similar expedition. As the new Managing Editor at The Voice Magazine, I’m looking both back and ahead with enthusiasm and trepidation.
Former editor Sandra Livingston?who is off on a new adventure of her own?took The Voice to new heights. Looking back over the magazine’s history, It’s easy to be awestruck at how far It’s come over the years. I feel fortunate to have been a part of The Voice‘s writing team for several years; becoming more directly involved in the future and direction of The Voice Magazine is equally exciting. Yet no matter how high a summit I’ve scaled, there’s always another snow-capped peak on the horizon, just begging to be explored. And That’s how I feel about The Voice.
I’m looking forward to clambering the hills and valleys of Voice editorship. Working closely with its incredible group of writers, whose dedication and talent have helped make the magazine what it is, will be both enlightening and rewarding. I’m also excited at the possibility of discovering new talent hidden among Voice readers. But most of all, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead on those snow-capped peaks stretching far into the distance.
It’s a climbing expedition that I’m eager to tackle.
Who’s with me?