Llama Packing with the kids

Halligan Ranch llamas!

I just returned from a 3-day llama packing trip out in the Cascade Mountains with my family and some friends. A group of 10 of us including my 2 year old, a 3 year old, my 4 year old and a 5 year old hired Halligan Ranch to pack our stuff out to Wasco Lake in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness. While it was definitely a trip that required a lot of planning and thought, it was also a wonderful experience in the mountains for my kids. I even got my dad who was an avid backpacker in his day, to come along and be part of my kids’ first mountain experience.

It was the first time in almost 3 years that I had been truly disconnected from the working world. No cell phone, no email, no connectivity. My ONLY focus was making sure my kids had a great time — and were safe in the wilderness. And let me tell you — it’s a lot of work keeping a 2 year old and a 4 year old happy, fed, warm, un-bitten by mosquitoes, sun-blocked, dry, and excited about the mountains. But despite all the work – the total focus on family and just plain old fashioned, climb on the rocks, explore the trails, scout for dragon flies, — fun — is an experience that know my kids will remember forever.

So what does any of this have to do with MommyCEO? Why am I writing this post on my blog? I see parallels between the work it takes to keep a group of people not just surviving, but happy, in the wilderness, and keeping a small business not just surviving but thriving in the real world. For both cases you need to:

1. Plan
2. Follow the plan
3. Adjust the plan as necessary based on obstacles that come up
4. Plan for the worst, but keep the focus on achieving the best
5. Juggle multiple things at once – 24 hours a day
6. Be able to step back, look at the big picture, and enjoy the successes

With that thought, I leave you with a great picture of 4 happy kids:

Happy Hot Chocolate