I have been trying to go rock climbing every Friday for the past few weeks at Gravity Vault. I have to say the first few times were so hard. I was afraid of height when I was bouldering; my upper body was not strong enough for all these climbs; my hands were not used to the rough surfaces at all. However, over time, things do get easier. I can see my progress, like how I used to not be able to climb all the way to the top of this white trail, but today I was.
I also learned the lesson of attempting. For my entire life, I have been trying to set goals and achieve them to the best of my ability, leaving almost no room for failure. It’s been great, but I am also more risk-averse. Rock climbing taught me that I can’t always finish the entire climb every single time and/or the first time. Sometimes I have to give up halfway, a third of the way, or even just a few blocks from the finish point. Sometimes I can finish the harder trail, but fail to even start the easier trail (the ratings are based on the Vault’s staff). So, ratings are subjective, and I should get used to being fine with attempting things and not finishing things. That way, I won’t be so obsessed with achievement and be more willing to test out new opportunities.
The only thing I don’t love about the rock climbing club so far is that I don’t know a ton of people, including those on the board, and the club has new people every week. So, I usually just try things out by myself, but sometimes it gets lonely, especially when I get tired on top of the climb. I wish that I have someone to cheer me up and tell me where to put my feet next.
Trang "Tee" Nguyen 