As the final days of 2024 approach, I find myself reflecting on a year that began in complete instability.

It was a time when the ground beneath my feet felt as if it might crumble at any moment, and I was forced to begin the year relying on myself more than I ever had before.

It’s a hard pill to swallow when you find yourself facing heavy lessons and challenges once again. Familiar patterns of behavior and decision-making had led me into a difficult situation, and the realization of my own ignorance hit like a hard slap in the face.

I understand now why things unfolded as they did. When you disrupt someone else’s comfort, your own will inevitably be put on the chopping block for slaughter.

Pushback is a certainty in life, and this year proved to be no exception.

On a lighter note, the situation I endured reminded me of my first attempt to conquer the Four-Mile Trail up to Glacier Point.

That climb has become a metaphor for my journey through 2024.

Back then, I was woefully unprepared, wearing the wrong clothes, out of shape, lacking essentials like bug spray, and burdened by gallons of water that weighed me down so much I thought I might collapse.

What an amateur mistake. The conditions I put myself in are laughable now, but they taught me the invaluable lesson that resilience is the key to overcoming everything this world has to offer.

This year felt much like that initial attempt at Glacier Point.

I stopped at least a thousand times before I reached the metaphorical summit, just as I had during that grueling four-mile hike.

Every pause I took was an opportunity to reevaluate, to breathe, and to remind myself why I keep pushing forward.

Also, despite my shaky start, I eventually found my footing once again.

Utilizing local resources, social programs, and the mental strength I possessed, I began to carve my way out of the difficulties that threatened to engulf me.

One particularly transformative moment came when I found myself standing parallel to the peak of El Capitan.

I looked at what was actually in front of me, not what I imagined or feared.

That clarity was a turning point. Just as the vastness of El Capitan reminded me of the resilience of nature, it also mirrored the resilience within me.

The strength I needed all along was already there, simply waiting to be ackowledged and harnessed.

By the end of this year, I’ve come to understand that life’s most valuable lessons often come from its most challenging moments.

Like Glacier Point, 2024 pushed me to my limits but rewarded me with a view I’ll never forget: a clearer understanding of myself, my capabilities, and the power of perseverance.

The journey wasn’t easy — and it never will be — but I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about avoiding difficulty.

It’s about facing it head-on, stopping when you need to, and trusting that you have what it takes to reach the top.

As we prepare to usher in 2025, I carry these lessons with me.

The roads we’ve walked before don’t have to define us; they can teach us.

And just as Glacier Point taught me to push through exhaustion and self-doubt, 2024 has shown me that even in our darkest hours, the summit is always within reach if we keep climbing.

In some ways, I’m still woefully unprepared, wearing the wrong clothes, out of shape, and lacking essentials like bug spray, but I’m here.

I’m still here, and ready for whatever 2025 has to offer.