Username: Alei
Name: Denali
Where they'd most like to travel and why: Denali's traveling dream was only recently realized through a note left by her late-father, directing her to what's referred to as
the rainbow mountains in China. Her father, a Sherpa, was known as a large scale mountaineer, always running off for the next thrill of the peak. His adventures eventually gave him recognition, reporters coming from around the world to interview or take a photo shoot with this daredevil of a man. When Denali was born, she was even named after of one the man's favorite climbs- Mt. Denali.
After one such mountaineering excursion, however, her dad was involved in an accident, leaving his life dwindling in the hospital. Months after his death, Denali traveled to the Rainbow Mountains as requested by a note her late father had written. Once there, however, something far greater of an adventure presented itself- the end of the multicolored trail closest to where the sun set.
Extra:
Denali was exhausted. The walking stick in her right hand was slippery with sweat, the smooth wood, so nice to look at in that sweet little craftsmen shop, had turned out to not be very great at, well, helping her walk. Although, to be fair, big was an understatement- it was huge. It was also the color of seafoam, much to Denali's awe. No trees or shrubs covered the surface of the stark rock, but the colors seemed to make up for it. Seafoam under her feet, with aqua to the right and a vibrant streak of lemon to her left. The surrounding mountains, all various shades of the rainbow as if out of some crazed children's show, were eye-catching. If she stopped to spin in a slow, arcing circle, it was like a living rainbow, the burst of colors almost searing to the sight up close.
However, the initial surprise and excitement of learning her location months earlier was gone, instead replaced with several choice words of irritation that many would consider rude. Point one- the hill, or should it be agreed as instead a mountain. Holy cow, the mountains were big, and with only the pack on her back and the wits in her steamed mind, things could have been better. Point two- the contents of the pack on her back was giving her quite the churning stomach, whether it be from anxiety or sadness she couldn't quite tell. Point three- though previously stated, this. Mountain. Was. Gigantic.
After another couple hours of hiking up the winding path that slowly encompassed the entire rainbow, Denali reached the peak of the tallest mountain in the area, dropping her pack heavily onto the now lavender rock before practically collapsing beside it with a sigh.
Several minutes later, the girl reached into her pack, pulling out a small, vase-like object. It was closed tightly at the top, preventing the contents from spilling in case one such girl named Denali decided to trip and consequently fall while hiking it up an XXL hill. Which, to Denali's humbling efforts, had only happened once or twice. The urn was dark in color, etched around with pearl clouds and gold mountain peaks, like some far-away mountain paradise. Attached to the object was a carefully hand-crafted envelope. There had once been two envelopes, at the time that the urn had been delivered to Denali, but one had already been removed and read, and was now lay back at her small apartment. The remaining envelope had three words written on the front, and like the first it seemed to be her late-father's handwriting. Unlike the first envelope, however, this one had a single word of difference. Instead of "Open Me Now," as the first had, this one said "Open Me There." "There," of course meaning where the first letter had requested- the rainbow mountains that resided in China. Sitting a top those said mountains now, Denali carefully slit the top of the second letter.
"Denali,
There was once a story about a man who loved the sky too much. He climbed every mountain he could find, desperately trying to kiss the clouds. Although it made him exhilarated, and he quickly fell in love, the sky was a dangerous thing to behold. On one of the man's trips to a high summit, he gave up too much of his life for the clouds above, and they took him into their arms, never for the man to be seen again.
Until now, I was like that man. Always trying to go higher and higher while sacrificing the things at the bottom. In this case, the thing I sacrificed was you. I'm sorry, Denali, for the way I left you for what I thought were greater things.
Although I have found peace in this life now, I worry that you have not. My first letter brought you here, but what I didn't disclose before is that it was for more reasons than one. I want my ashes to be scattered over the peak of those mountains, yes, but I also want you to find happiness within yourself, and I believe that those peaks will be able to help you.
Go find your next adventure~
I love you."
Denali looked at the note, slight surprise written on her face as she read through it multiple times. The surprise slowly faded to a humble look, as though pieces on complete sides of the galaxy has suddenly come together. The letter was something that she had always dreamed about finding, a final fulfillment of her father and herself.
Looking up, Denali's eyes caught on the rays of sunlight dipping below the far-off horizon, the sky slowly darkening into night. The last streaks of the sunset matched that of the mountains it was above, and the whole world was swallowed in colors that could have only been imagined in that of one's wildest dreams.
Denali stared at where the sun tipped one of the far-off peaks of the rainbow mountains, an azure top taller than even the peak she was currently on. Her heart lifted as she watched, remembering her father's words.
Go find your next adventure.
She reached to the urn in front of her, gently moving her thumb over the engravings, before returning her sight to the lone peak in the distance.
So it would seem, she had found the adventure of her dreams.
