Last week I was eating the most delicious mushroom-infused trout at La Tapera, a tiny restaurant on the edge of El Chaltén (you may remember I love mushrooms, and that Patagonia was a dream destination on my bucket list).

El Chaltén is a 32-year-old mountain town with a population of about 1,670 and it has a young, pioneer energy.

Even the buildings look like you’re walking in an old western film, the kind with rectangular-shaped exteriors that might blow over if you sneeze too hard.

The truth is those structures are incredibly strong.

The wind blows so hard in that part of southern Argentina, it's a reminder of how close Antarctica actually is. I had to open the car door with two hands or risk having it blow right off.

I’m not kidding.

So, my friend and I were eating inside this cozy place and overheard the joyful conversation at the table next to us - an older woman with three young Argentinian men in their early 20s.

Trying not to eavesdrop too much in my marginal (but improving!) Spanish, I assumed she was a happy mother who brought her three adorable sons to the country’s majestic trekking capital.

Of course, after one glass of Malbec, we were practically friends and having dinner with them…

Turns out they were three cousins taking their grandmother to her lifelong dream destination for her 81st birthday.

We shared their birthday song, their energy, and I thought about them a lot when I got home a few days ago.

Maybe you are like me, talking about things we want to do in the future, the people we want to spend more time with, the trips we long to take…

Yet it’s so hard to take real action.

We wait for a milestone birthday (Patagonia was for my 50th). They did not.

We wait for work to be “less busy” to take the time. That never happens.

We wait for enough money, or the right moment, or, or, or…

And the truth is, time passes by.

This really shifted me.

I’ve been talking about doing an overnight with my 11-year-old son Jack for years.

Mostly because I used to take my twin girls on separate “alone overnight trips” when they were his age. To Philadelphia, to Boston, even mini staycations here in NYC.

I always prioritized these trips because I felt that, as twins, they needed to have that alone time with me.

But my son does too! I will channel this energy and take action now. Even if it’s months out and something we look forward to.

So, tell me, who do you want to spend more time with? Who needs your attention, your adventurous spirit, and your playful self?

Your child? Your parent or grandparent? Your partner? Your friend?

You don’t have to fly to the South Pole together! You can drive an hour, take a train, or even explore a new area of your hometown.

The only thing you really need to do is make the time.

I promise you always have time for the things you want to make time for.

And we get one shot at life.

I am not waiting until I’m 81! Though I do hope I’m still hiking (and handstanding!) then.

With fierce love,
Alison