Today, as I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, I am thankful for family and the traditions that are celebrated during the holiday season. In addition, I am thankful for my health and plan to jumpstart my fitness program right after turkey day. I want to be ready for an upcoming Parker family tradition of adventure. After celebrating with an abundance of food, family and friends, I will prepare for my ascent to the ceiling of Africa. I have a passion for travel and this adventure promises to entertain.
We Parkers will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease. I have always enjoyed hiking outdoors, particularly to refresh my own soul. Now I climb to help others, to raise money for research, and to find a cure for Parkinson’s. In the last months, our band of Parkers and friends has climbed Mt. Mansfield in Vermont, Mt. Katahdin in Maine, and Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. We are making new friends with each step and raising money along the way.
Kilimanjaro will be a challenging climb, soaring just less than 20,000 feet, it is a formidable Monadnock in the plains of Africa. I did a fair amount of hiking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains and recall a few times when altitude sickness caused me a bit of discomfort. However, I am confident that I will be prepared by next summer. This trip promises to be a transformative experience over some of the most epic landscape on the planet.
My family teases me about training for the assault on the highest peak of Africa. Many Parker family members have already started rigorous training schedules. My sister-in-law is doing power workouts at the gym with her husband and a personal trainer. My husband is averaging 50 miles a week on the treadmill. My daughter is a cross-country runner and my son is in great shape. So far, I take yoga classes and walks, some shorter than others.
There is plenty of time to prepare for this trip. However, on ParkersClimb.com there is a countdown of “days until the mountain” and that number keeps shrinking. When you check out the post, you will see a number that keeps growing, charitable contributions to Team Fox, the official sponsor of Parkers climb. I look forward to my workouts and will start soon, right after I finish my deep fried turkey, cranberry sauce and cheesecake. I guess that is why they call it Black Friday!
Massachusetts Mediator Larri Tonelli Parker specializes in family and divorce mediation and has over twenty five years experience helping families and couples resolve their differences amicably. Call us to learn how divorce mediation can save you time and money.