Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.09.2007, Blaðsíða 6

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Mount Esja: The New Couple’s Therapy
Text by Gabriele R. Guðbjartsson Photo by Gulli
In these modern times the therapy market is booming
with self-help books, talk shows, relaxing CDs, day spas
and the usual pill that’s suggested by four out of five not
so known doctors. However, sometimes all you need is a
day away from the market. On a day with an acceptable
weather forecast and a need for a self- or relationship-
renovation, Mt. Esja offers that and so much more.
On a sunny day in July, my husband and I packed
some food, a camera and sent the baby off to grandma’s
house. We only had one goal in mind – the top of Esja.
At 914 meters high and about 20 kilometres long, Mt.
Esja answered our prayer for some peace, quality time
and an opportunity to work together to accomplish a
monumental task. Like so many couples who have spent
years together, life can start to look like an assembly
line. Everyone does their part everyday the same way
to produce the same product. In our case, we had spent
the previous two months focusing our time and energy
on our newborn. Not that we do not completely adore
and unconditionally love our child, it was just also cer-
tain that we needed time to breathe differently, to get
to know one another as individuals again and to step
away from our roles as “the one that breastfeeds” and
“the one that changes all the poopie diapers.”
In theory we were going to be the super-athletic
power couple that dominated the mountain in a record
breaking time of 45 minutes. However, after realizing
that I had given birth eight weeks prior and that he
did not possess the Beckham-like form he once had,
we decided that on this hike we were going to take it
slow and use the time to stop and smell the roses for
once. Our decision was also assisted by the fact that an
elderly couple with walking sticks and their two children
passed us quite speedily on the way up. At that point
we looked at each other and knew that our competitive
egos could take at least one day off.
Before we even reached level one I was blaming him
for the heat and for lending me the wrong pants to wear.
(I actually thought he was sabotaging the trip by being
better prepared than I was.) This of course completely
annoyed him, forcing him to walk even faster and leaving
me to lag behind and grow even more frustrated. The
horizon looked bleak with the premature bellyaching
and the little frustrations from the heat and fatigue.
However, after we cooled down a bit by stripping down
to tank tops and shorts and gulping down two bottles
of orange-flavoured Gatorade, we got back on track
and reminded each other of the day’s purpose.
As the trek fared on we reminisced about when
we first met and how much our lives had changed
since then. We caught up on what was going on in the
world around us and what we had missed while being
caught up in the charms of parenthood. We stopped
to get water straight from the stream and laughed at
how far we had to go to the top. He worried about me
when I lost my balance on the sharp jagged rocks to
level five, while I listened as he shared his knowledge
of the mountain and his experiences of its beauty from
his childhood. When we finally reached level five we
stopped to snack on the power bars and fruit from our
backpack and decided to rest for ten minutes before
trudging our way to the very top. In those ten minutes
it started to get a little cold and at that point we had
been away from the baby for almost three hours. The
best part of the trip happened in the next 30 minutes.
As I clearly did not want to go on, my husband lovingly
put his foot down and confirmed that we were going
to finish what we started. He jokingly commented that
if we didn’t finish this one adventure it would lead to a
life of unfinished projects. Although his joke bled with
comedic exaggeration, he was right on point and I had
to give in.
For the last bit of the hike he got behind me and
pushed both physically and mentally. It was teamwork
in its truest form and I appreciated him so much more
for the motivational edge. I realized that when someone
loves you that much it’s their job to push you in ways
that make you stronger and realise your full potential.
When we finally reached the top it felt as if we had joined
this exclusive club as we visually absorbed every speck
of the most breathtaking view of the city of Reykjavik.
The experience was surreal and yet provided my husband
and me with such tangible memories of one of the best
days we have had together. So next time you need a
break, remember Dr. Esja, couches not included.
In theory we were going to be
the super-athletic power couple
that dominated the mountain
in a record breaking time of
45 minutes.
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