So here I am, sitting in a farmhouse kitchen, eating pringles and staring out at the mountain range that tiptoes behind my back garden. I sit here, typing away, knowing full well that by seven o'clock tomorrow morning, I'll be up, cooking eggs and getting ready for what I'm sure will be a bloody exhausting day. yet there's not been a single minute so far that I've regretted.

~*~

I apologise, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm in Wales, in a cottage on the very border of the Snowdonia National Park. My feet ache, My legs hurt, My nose is slightly sun burnt and I've pulled a muscle in my right arm, but i can honestly say i don't give a s***

~*~

Because I climbed Mount Snowdon on Sunday. After 8 hours being cramped in the back of a Ford Escort on Saturday, My and my family trekked up the 1085 metres that is the highest mountain in England and Wales. ~*~

I'm sure God was looking down on us yelling "Day of rest guys, that's why i invented the bloody day, as a day of rest!" But all the same, I, along with my Mr McBride, the ones they call Steffi and Gary, as well as Auntie Lin And Trevortrevortrevor, made it to the top.

~*~

Now, I'd like to say that it was easy. But it really really wasn't. There were times when i actually didn't think i could move my right foot in front of my left. The ground was steep, then uneven, then covered in loose slate, then muddy, then slippy. Added to that was the fact that Sunday was predicted to be the only 'good weather' day of the half term week. Because of this, half the country set out alongside us.

~*~

We got three quarters of the way up when it got too much for Auntie Lin. So unfortunately, we left her with a large bottle of water on the grass and stumbled the last mile. And the moment we reached the top, I realised the sheer force the human spirit can have.

~*~

From about half way up, the only thing keeping my going was the thought in my head "you've come this far, you cant bloody stop now." It amazed my, watching the frowning pained faces of everyone how much strength and determination a person can pull together when faced with a challenge.

~*~

From the top, the view was... I don't actually think there's a word, beautiful? breathtaking? stunning? I don't know, I just know that every little bit of me felt so totally...chuffed. I could look over the range and think to myself "I worked bloody hard for this." The adrenaline rush was immense. Either that or it was the very steep peak that made my heart beat so flipping fast. ~*~

Two minutes after heading back down, we were met with a very tired looking Auntie Lin on a rock just round the corner from the peak. After watching the rest of us soldier on, She had made it to the top, at her own pace. and I think that made me smile more than any of the views I experienced at the top. My own feat was shadowed by this lady, who, like the tortoise, took her time and got to the top. Like she said "I was not going to let it beat me. I was not going to get that far then call it a day." ~*~

You see, Human spirit.

Sorry, that was quite long. Thank you for sticking with me.

~*~

Oh, halfway down, we saw a guy who was at least 70 ambling up and a comfortable place. But, another day, another story.