endings are new beginnings..

endings are always a new beginning for me...

the training is about to come to a close... orienteering and 15km run are just around the corner.. after these who knows?

four months of intensive training... four months wherein we live and breathe AMCI activities.. some of us lost touch of our old friends.. shunning weekend night outs in lieu of the training the morning after.. some of us barely see their families.. and most of us stagger to work every thursdays and mondays..

we found ourselves sucked into another world... for some, opening up their mind and heart to a life involving the outdoors.. we have come so far it seemed.. from barely able to run 1km to being able to run 8-10km and now hopefully be able to pass the 15km hurdle..

yes we have come far... from gingerly sidestepping mud at first, to breezing thru different trails and terrains without minding if we slip or fall.. getting up and dusting off with no more tears and with less fear but with safety on top of our minds..

yes we have come far... from tentatively knowing strangers to bonding with them solidly so that we know that some friendships shall and will endure despite what the outcome of the training may be..

we have widened our horizons.. we dared to challenge ourselves.. we opened up our world to let in more people and more experiences..

we came out as better people.. thru all the hardships.. conflicts and even the occassional ennui that besets us.. we came to appreciate what mountaineering is all about.. it is not about the sheer physical strength.. nor is it about how fast you can scale a mountain.. it is about developing friendship.. climbing with safety uppermost in our minds.. of caring for the ones who are injured, troubled or those who are frozen in fear.. and above all, it is about appreciating nature and all of God's wonders.. from the smallest flower to the tallest mountain.. to take on the responsibility of caring for God's creation.. to never leave a trace behind.. just our footprints..

we find it easy to laugh... and we found it easier to share our tears and our fears...

we are no longer strangers...