The pickle that helped me come out of hibernation.

I have let much of my life go by without taking advantage of the health that I have been blessed with.

Days turn into weeks. Weeks in months. Months in years.

And then one day, a simple task forced me to recognize the time I wasted.

It all happened while I was trying to open a jar of pickles, no less. I fought. I fought. It was in vain. I lacked strength.

Standing there, still craving that pickle, I thought: When did that happen?

There was no magic number.

This was the culmination of accumulated time.

Now, I’m not saying I haven’t had adventures. Have. But wrestling with that jar forced me to acknowledge something: my last notable adventure was more than a decade ago.

Because?

Tomorrow, next week, next year.

I found myself at a crossroads, continue telling stories from the past or embark on an adventure and create a new one.

That was the decisive moment.

The time had come to raise the CDT.

2026 is the year I bring my adventurous spirit out of hibernation.

Anxiety, doubt, uncertainty, sure. Everyone is present and accounted for. But my desire to reconnect with the person I had forgotten about was stronger than all that.

I felt inspired. Inspired by a stubborn bottle. Inspired to take advantage of my health.

It was time to get my pickle.

— Ducks

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