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Lindsay - It’s too bad your giveaway ended while I was still in the hospital, because I would definitely say I felt most alive right after Sadie was born. What an amazing (and painful) experience!

Lisa - What a great question! We seem to have a couple of running themes in the comments For me, it was the time I climbed Pike’s Peak in Colorado with my sister as part of a fundraiser for people with brain injuries. We started up the mountain in the darkness along with hundreds of other hikers, single file along the narrow trail for a good long while, with only our headlamps lighting the way. We watched the sunrise as we continued to hike up the mountain, stopping along the way to take a snapshot of the two of us that will forever be one of my favorites. We alternately talked and walked in silence, until we made it all the way to the last section, where we had to make our way carefully over the large bolders during the tough final descent. When one of the women at the top -someone affected by brain injuries- finally put that medal around my neck, looked into my eyes and said thank you, I felt so humbled and grateful to be able-bodied, able to give my time and efforts to help others in this way and in many other ways, too. I felt so alive at that moment, standing at the top and looking at the valley below. Such an indescribable feeling.

Shelley - What a great question…the time I have felt most alive is when I gave my life to Christ. There are many days when that is what gets me through and keeps me going, knowing that it is all for His glory and His alone!

Taryn - The time when I felt the most alive was during a winter night up at a ranch in the Sequoia National Forest. The air was frigid, the snow was falling, and my seven-year-old eyes were wandering everywhere. I had recently left my seat by a bonfire next to a lake, and decided to walk over to the horse stables to see if they really did sleep while standing. I stood next to the horses, who actually happened to still be awake to my disappointment. Their heavy, warm breath was heating up the air, bringing about what I thought at the time were mini clouds coming from within. It only took one glance up into the sky for me to become hooked to the numerous amounts of stars. I come from Los Angeles, and had always assumed that the stars I saw on an average city would be finite. To look back at those nights, and then look back up at the sky to remind myself of where I was in that moment was incredible. That was the moment I realized there was so much beauty that was impossible to reach but incredible to admire from afar. The night I first saw the stars spreading across the midnight winter sky was the night I felt the most alive. I never go a moment without missing the night sky painted with sparkling stars, just like a black canvas shrouded with glitter.

j. shipley - i’ve got so much love for you darlin’. and i want to let you know how i feel. and it’s true that i love ya. and it’s true you’re the only one. and i do…i adore ya…and it’s true, girl. you make me feel al-i-i-ive. you make me feel al-i-i-ive.

(and i mean that about both for you as a collective photog-unit. mmmhm. haha)

but in all seriousness, storytime about feeling alive….as my family and i sat around the kitchen table at my grandparent’s home feasting on thanksgiving leftovers, we laughed, we cried, and we chuckled. you know the kind of laughter…the kind when you can barely breathe, and your eyes well up with tears and you find yourself rolling around in your chair or sometimes even on the floor. all of which makes you laugh even harder. and when you finally catch your breath, your stomach hurts and you have tears steaming down your cheeks. well that kind of laughter happened that day. we were laughing and telling stories and doing as families do. we were talking about funny sounds and faces, which is a huge shipley thing, but my mom always refuses to participate. until that day. my dad asked her to do “flat lip” and she did in on command. and i’m not sure i’ve ever laughed harder in my life. and i was not alone. my entire family was on the floor laughing hysterically. everyone was laughing so hard he or she was crying. and my mom was “vibrating” –no sound just vibrations of laughter. i am thankful for that moment in my grandma’s kitchen when all was right with the world. we were full of turkey and full of laughter and joy. and in that moment, i found myself thankful and i felt most alive.

Christina H - When I asked myself when was a time I felt most alive, the answer overwhelmed me. Currently my husband (Jason) is in the process of adopting my son from a previous marriage. Typically I would not imagine a meeting in the court with investigators to be an “alive” moment but it was. Part of the very long process involves interviews with court investigators who either recommend for or against the adoption. It was during our last interview where I had “the” moment. The investigators had been asking Jason very simple, factual questions like the date of our marriage, etc. Then they asked him, “Why do you want to adopt Tristan?” Jason was caught off guard and instantly he choked up. So much so he couldn’t speak. When he could finally clear his throat and wiped the tears away, he said, “Because I love him!” It was such a simple answer but it also said so much. So many emotions raced inside of me. I was happy, relieved, thankful and I was ALIVE inside. There’s obviously more to the adoption story and it has been a rough road… but in that moment I knew it was all worth it. Hopefully by the end of the summer it will be official and both of my kids can say they have one of the best dads ever

Reyn Hiskey - I have to say that the times that I feel most alive are when I am doing outdoor activities which could be said to be “extreme.” The two most recent examples of this would be last summer’s experience of climbing Tree 9 on the campus of UC Santa Cruz and this past winter’s father son trip to Utah to snowboard. When I was climbing Tree 9, a tree towering above the forrest in resides in at almost the height of a football field, I can remember thinking that I my hands slipped or my feet lost there hold I would likely fall to my death. My heart beat seemed to find itself in tune with my climb and with each outstretched grasp for a higher branch, my heart seemed to be reaching towards a thundering crescendo in my chest. I finally emerged at the top of the tree to a panorama of Santa Cruz that made me realize that the saying “there are no words” can actually find a suitable place in my life. I got a little reckless and after standing with my arms stretched high on the topmost branch, I let myself hang out over the trials of my climb with one hand free, one breathe of the world away from dropping to the end of the world as I knew it. In those brief moments of stupidity I became suddenly aware of every extension of my body and knew in an instant that I would never be able to forget that experience of complete connection with my own body. When I was in Utah over my Christmas break in January, after the first day of snowboarding the weather decided to bring us the fluffy white substance dreams are made of, 100% fresh Utah powder. The next three days of snowboarding saw me going speeds that would never have been safe for my experience and jumping off natural features of the mountains that in normal circumstances would require much more practice but because of the amount of powder on the mountains I could risk so much and fall without any damage done to myself. It was as if God had given me the greatest toy to play with, the earth, and provided countermeasures to keep me safe while enjoying myself fully. It was a feeling I will spend every winter until I die trying to replicate or at least find some semblance of; it was the perfect experience of God’s creation and my interaction with it.

Megan Hartley - Such a great question! The moment instantly came to mind when I read the question and then I pondered for a few days to come up with the words to describe it. The exact moment I felt the most alive was when the doctor placed my newborn baby girl on my chest following a long and difficult labor. You can read a VERY long account of my daughter’s birth story on my personal blog at http://chrisandmeganhartley.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-of-lilys-arrival-first-few-weeks.html (feel free to skip it because, as I mentioned, it’s long!) The rush of emotion in that moment was something I had never experienced before – indescribable joy to have my precious baby in my arms, incredible relief that the pain was over and that my daughter was healthy after experiencing a complication during delivery, profound love for this little person I had just met, a deeper connection to my husband than I knew was possible, and a knowledge that even the immeasurable love I felt for my little Lily was only a fraction of the love that God has for me. I felt it all in that split second as the tears rolled down my face and I will be forever grateful to God for that moment in my life and I just can’t imagine feeling more alive or seeing the bigger picture in life than I did in that moment. Thanks for such a great question and allowing me to re-live that joyful moment!

Elizabeth - A moment that I felt most alive:
I will never forget that one time I hiked Garrapata in Big Sur, California. Somehow this particular trip was unique. This several mile hike uphill left me breathless and exhausted. Covered in goose-bumps from the ocean breeze that chilled my sweaty frame, I literally found myself crawling to the mountain top. As I looked back to see where I had traveled from the mountain appeared to have dropped off into a lush green valley floor. I actually made it, on foot! It seemed SO unreal. I struggled to my feet and regained my bearings. My senses were extremely heightened and I felt alive. The colors around me seem to dance off of the sunset. I heard distant ocean waves, sea lions barking, and the sounds of the wind. I felt the sun on my face, the wind brush through my hair and wrap around my body. It felt as though the heavens parted over the sea as if to reward my diligence for working my way to the top of the mountain. The harsh physical strain that my body had been going through on the hike disappeared and a feeling of empowerment, awe, hope, strength, and involvement took over me. I felt a sense of belonging or connection to nature, this idea made me feel small but very much apart of my surroundings.
The best part about this experience was that this particular day I brought my camera with me. I have a photo of the distant waves and the lush rolling mountain tops that I so vividly remember. Every time I look at that photo, all of those feelings and even smells come rushing back to my senses and I feel alive all over again.

Stephanie - I have been pondering this question for a couple days now, since I first saw that you had posted it. I struggle in finding the words to clearly express when I feel the most alive. I feel alive when I’m riding a horse and the wind is in my hair and I’m totally reliant on the horse as it takes each stride. I always feel alive and grateful each and every morning that I wake up and find that I have another day to be Madison’s mother and Alex’s wife. I try to savor every moment, but I also have a unique lifestyle and I think I’ll write about that for now. Being a proud Marine Corps Wife is the start of it. Almost six years ago, I started on this journey called being a “military spouse.” On this journey we had our first cross country move, had our sweet Madison, have made some amazing friends, have moved 5 times (living in 3 different states), and have watched God change our hearts. God has impressed upon us that we need to help create a community in our home for all of these people who are so far away from their homes and have their husbands deploy on a regular basis. I feel so alive when I am entertaining and helping other military families feel loved. I know that this is where God wants me. Now that we have recently moved, I am waiting for God to reveal who it is I am to reach out to, which in and of itself fills me with life.

Lisa Lattimore - For over a decade, I dreamed of going to Africa. In 2008, along with my sister, I had the opportunity to realize that dream. What started out as planning a 1-week safari turned into a 5-week travel adventure immersed in culture the entire time. Before we knew it, we were planning out first leg of the trip…a climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest free-standing mountain, with a height of over 19,000 feet. After almost 6 months of training and 6 long, hard days of climbing, we were standing on the Rooftop of Africa. It was amazing to be there with my sister, and the views were breathtaking. It may have been difficult breathing in the super thin air, but it definitely made me feel alive!