Day 7: The Day It All Came Together

Today was… incredible.

We woke up early, got picked up, and made our way back to Italy with one goal:

Give ourselves another shot at Mont Blanc.

And this time…

The weather said yes.

The Opportunity

The helicopter was flying.

Which already felt like a win.

It took two trips to get all of us up since it only fits three people and their skis at a time. So even that required patience and coordination.

But once we landed…

We moved.

The Climb

Like most mountaineering days, it started cold.

That kind of cold where you question if you’ll ever feel your fingers again… or if the sun is actually going to do its job.

But then the work begins.

This route was different.

We boot-packed most of it.
Ice axe in hand.
Moving step by step.

And it was exposed.

The kind of exposure that demands your full attention.

No distraction.
No drifting.
Just presence.

Watching Them

And this was my favorite part of the day.

Watching the boys.

Joe.
Jacob.
Jonathan.

Lock in.

Focus.

Handle something that was, without question, the biggest day they’ve ever had in the mountains.

And not just get through it…

But rise to it.

The Reminder

On the way down, we saw something that shifted everything.

A woman fell in front of us in one of the more dangerous sections.

And she had to be helicopter rescued.

Just like that, the tone changed.

We slowed down.
Got more conservative.
More intentional.

Because it’s one thing toknowthe risk.

It’s another thing toseeit.

The Descent

We made it down safely.

Back into town.

Tired, yes.

But something else too…

That feeling you only get after a day like that.

Where everything in you knows:

We did something real today.

A Birthday I Won’t Forget

Today is my birthday.

And I can’t think of a better way to spend it.

On the mountain.
With my boys.
Watching them grow into something bigger than they were just days ago.

We went out to dinner with the guides tonight and celebrated.

Laughed. Replayed moments. Let it all land.

The Meaning in It All

Sitting here now, reflecting…

I keep coming back to this.

There’s so much clarityafterthe fact.

Why certain days didn’t work.
Why we had to wait.
Why things didn’t go according to plan.

Because today?

It was better than what we originally imagined.

The Signs

I’m someone who pays attention to signs.

My grandma Bee passed away a few years ago, and ever since, when I see a bee… I know she’s with me.

It’s always felt like her way of saying:

You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

And over the last 24 hours…

There was a bee in our apartment.

Then a bee in the shuttle on the way to Italy.

And then, I’m not kidding…

The woman at the helicopter desk had a dog namedBumblebee.

At some point, you stop questioning it.

Final Thought

Today wasn’t just a summit.

It was a reminder.

That sometimes the delays…
The frustration…
The days that don’t go your way…

They’re not setbacks.

They’re setting you up for something better.

Right now, I’m just sitting in it.

Grateful.
Tired.
Full.

And I know there’s more to unpack from all of this.

But for tonight…

This is enough.