While I was in Greece, I pushed myself to hike up the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens. It was one of the most difficult hikes I’ve ever done.
The stairs were sometimes taller than me. It felt like rock climbing at some parts. Some of the steps had become so worn down by ancient Grecian and now tourists’ feet that they were slippery.
At the top, overlooking the city, I heard dozens of languages and saw people with canes, a blind walking stick, a leg brace and one man in a wheelchair who deftly navigated the stairs by leaning way back and doing wheelies. People are incredible, and it’s times like those that make me realize that while I limped back down the stairs and took pain meds that night, there are others in a more difficult situation still climbing.