Among the 200-500 word content teacups that so often sustain our everyday news and social media feeds, there are longer-form gems that are really worth the pause. I came to Eva Holland‘s piece, “Unclimbable,” through a NYT What We’re Reading email blast. It’s a personal narrative by the author, who writes about a circle of climbers who wish to ascend The Lotus Flower Tower in Canada. I am not a climber. But tales of the climb and of the courage and perseverance of those who do, have always drawn me in. This piece, in particular, taught me something new about how we view our successes and failures. I won’t spoil it here. But if you’ve 10 minutes, you might really enjoy this.

And here’s a quote for today. It’s written into a blog post on travel inspiration by Quinn Elise, an adventurer who works alongside Jonathon Button, another adventurer. Together, they run a company Life Out of the Box and work to bring school supplies to children who need them. The full quote is from her reflection on their time in San Juan Del Sur:

“After just weeks of living there, we were changed people. We volunteered with schools and non-profits and found that there was a need for school supplies. We read Spanish with the children at their school, we met kids like Danny, we played games at recess that made us laugh until our stomachs hurt. We saw poverty that we didn’t know existed, but also met some of the happiest people we’ve ever met. We found that the happiest people don’t have everything, they just make the best of everything.”

I’ve had it tucked away, but after I read Holland’s story, it made me think of it. Happy Thursday.