In a society where communication technology has made distance among loved ones seem more bearable and staying in touch easier, the thought of being out of anyone’s reach has become almost unfathomable. While I have learned in recent weeks that one can obtain cell phone service at various locations on Mount Everest, sending emails, updating Facebook statuses and Skyping do not come as easy. This post is my technological cheerlead – a dedication to my brother, Dan, who just accomplished a 17,598-foot hike to Everest’s base camp with little way to tell anyone about it.

Anyone who has ever driven through the state of Kansas knows the characteristics of its roads: flat, straight and simple. When compared to this ride, an excursion around a mountain – let’s say Mount Kilimanjaro, for example – might be described with hills, curves and complexity. These may be two different types of paths, but – like our own life paths – each hold characteristics that make their individual journeys both unparalleled and unique.

(A quote I’ve carried with me since receiving it on a card from my mom freshman year of college)

Chicago is truly a different place in the summer. It’s been at least 80 degrees and sunny for the past few days, and my seemingly desolate neighborhood has suddenly become flooded with runners, dog-walkers, moms pushing strollers and kids playing football in the same allies I have yet to walk down without keys wedged between my fingers, sharp side out. I love this sudden burst of activity and, combined with the gorgeous weather, it adds a new spark of enlightenment to my life.