From early childhood, I have never had a good experience on a rock wall. For that matter, as a kid I have only had bad experiences with any activity that required me to wear a harness or be any higher than about a foot in the air. So naturally, in the summer of my 20^th year, I have decided that rock climbing is going to my new activity of choice.

I have my best friend Jenna to thank for building up the hype about climbing just enough that I forced myself to get on the wall again. It took a lot of hard work and mental training and focus, but I have finally gotten past the point where I’m afraid to get too high up on the wall. From having physical anxiety in response to height the first week of climbing to recently being able to see Jenna look like the size of an ant and continue climbing, I’ve developed the physical and mental strength to complete routes and try harder ones even though I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish them.

Climbing has been such a worthwhile use of my time and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sense of purpose or adventure.

1. You conquer your lifelong fear of heights

...sort of

2. You can actually afford your own gear

You might spend a whole paycheck on it, but you're not even a little bit upset about it

3. “Don’t look back” now has multiple meanings in your life

4. Top Roping is actually safer than walking on land

Thank God for harnesses

5. You get to have a really badass hobby

Getting to say “Yeah I climb” is a lot cooler than what you were doing before

6. People are actually interested in your life now

You never get tired of people asking "So did you get to go climbing today?"

7. It’s always good to try something new and a little bit risky

Live a little dangerously!

8. You get the rare opportunity to talk about aspects of your hobby that sound supremely inappropriate, but are in fact totally innocent

"tea bagging" doesn't mean what you think it does

9. You develop physical agility and flexibility that you didn’t know you could ever achieve

10. That being said, you train your brain to be agile and flexible at the same time

Mind over matter becomes so relevant to your life

11. You meet some really cool people

12. You accidentally get really into other badass/outdoor/adventure activities

13. You can climb inside or outside

You never get bored and you always have the option to climb

14. The high you get from climbing is way more intense than any drug

Not to mention a really great, lame pun

15. Climbing attire is actually just whatever is the most comfortable thing that you own.

You never have to wear anything besides leggings and a t-shirt ever, ever again

16. The climbing community is incredibly supportive, because we all know just how hard it is to even get on the wall let alone make it anywhere on it.

17. You develop a new appreciation for chalk…which is good because you’re always covered in it

18. You become much more daring in many different aspects of your daily life as a result of your newfound badassery.

19. Your taste in music changes to whatever it is they’ve been playing at the wall

20. You learn to trust that your climbing partner is actually capable of holding your life in their hands.

21. You get time to do some serious soul searching and self discovery that is unmatched by any other hobby or activity