Every time you hear the song “On Top of the World” by OneRepublic, you picture yourself on a mountain top, looking out and thinking about how great it feels to just be present in that moment. That is the exact feeling I experienced, when I got the chance to stand at the top of the Swiss Alps.
Two summers ago, I got to go to Davos, Switzerland to attend a Global Leadership Summit with a leadership group called HOBY. We got to stay in the cute little small town in the middle of the huge snow capped mountains. I did not mind waking up to that view every morning!
On one of the days, we got to hike half way up the Swiss Alps. The bottom was more of a typical mountain, with skinny tall trees and beautiful waterfalls. Looking out over the town, you could see the roofs of the colorful houses, all gathered together in one area. There were beautiful rolling hills and glistening lakes. I could’ve sat there forever and never got tired of looking at it’s beauty.
I remember singing along to “The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music” with my friends and feeling completely carefree. I was only worried about being in the moment and taking in every thing about this beautiful mountain.
The next day, we got to experience the top snow capped hills of the Alps. We boarded onto a gondola and rode up to the top. As we climbed higher and higher our excitement grew, knowing the view that lied ahead was one we would never forget.
We all shuffled out of the gondola an started hiking our way up to a little resort area tucked in the mountain. We stopped only for a couple minutes to snap some group pictures and then we were free to hike up the mountain at our own pace.
The stony path made it hard at times, but our excitement propelled our legs forward. Even though it was mid July, we were dressed in jeans and sweatshirts because of the wind chill of being at a high altitude.
Once we reached the top, we all sat down so that we could let it all sink in. For the first time in a while, I finally felt at peace. Maybe it was because the air up there was thinner, or maybe because I was having the experience of a lifetime, but as I breathed in and out I felt a sense of revival enter my lugs. It was a true euphoria and I now understand why people are willing to climb Mt. Everest because I’m sure they have that same feeling but magnified.
I could see the rolling hills, the crystal clear lakes, and the snow capped mountains that stretched on for miles. Suddenly, I was brought back to reality as I got hit with a snowball from behind. This started a whole frenzy of everyone getting in a snowball fight, naturally.
Having this experience helped me to develop an appreciation for nature, and to always remember that when you get to the top, don’t forget to enjoy the view. Some times things come into our lives when we need it most, and this experience helped to give me hope for the future because there was still such beauty present in this world.