Hacker News Reader

Last year we were holidaying in Drakensberg (mountaneous area in South Africa) and for my birthday I've decided to run the "Big 5" hike which involves climbing five hills in the area (it's at Cavern). About 20k with ~2000m elevation gain. Took me 4 hours and I was pretty much dead at the end, but the best birthday gift I gave myself, ever!

View on HN

Highly recommend this style of celebration. My partner and I have made a habit of some form of interesting travel for major birthdays---Everest (just base camp), Svalbard, caving in NZ, etc. Other years just a local trek or hillclimb.

It doesn't need to be expensive (the above had high flight costs, but the remainder was below sustenance spend if we were at home). The goal is to do something well removed from normal daily experience as it creates a nice memory anchor for that point in time.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com