Happy 2025! As I reflect on the goals I set for last year, I’ve been reviewing what I considered both successes and failures. Looking through my 2024 list, I felt not only excitement about the achievements but, more importantly, a deep sense of gratitude for the lessons learned from what I hadn’t accomplished—the so-called "failures."

As I stepped onto the sideboard and gripped the handle of the rented Ford Expedition to hoist my petite frame into the seat, my heart pounded. I knew what lay ahead: miles of stunning landscapes filled with golden aspen trees, fiery red sumac, and chokecherry bushes, along with steep curves at high elevations.