When Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos told me about his trip to Nepal to hike part way up Mt. Everest, I was blown away.

First, I was shocked that he had been able to take three weeks off to go on the trip. As hard as he works to keep the growing city of Hoover running smoothly, I was amazed he was able to find the time to do so.

Then, when he started explaining the particulars of the trip to me, I found myself captivated by every word.

When he revealed he had lost 35 pounds while working for a year to get in shape for the hike, I was amazed by his dedication to his dream. (And slightly intrigued by the weight-loss plan. I might have to consider training for a mountain hike myself!)

But I was much more impressed by what the trip meant to him than I was by the fact he hiked three miles up Mt. Everest.

He saw life in Nepal, which has so much beauty surrounded by so much poverty. He spoke at length of how seeing the beauty and the sadness in Nepal reminded him to be ever thankful for what we have here in the United States.

My favorite quote in the entire story was, when speaking of Nepal, he said: “Just drinking a clean glass of water is difficult to do there.”

I never have to worry about that.

Petelos also saw death close by in Nepal. His hiking group, made up of eight from the Birmingham area, encountered a young woman stricken by high-altitude sickness.

A doctor in the group treated her as well as he could, and the group moved her several miles to the next village and arranged for a helicopter to transport her to a hospital the next morning.

Group members had done all they could, and they thought it was enough. But it wasn’t to be, as she passed away that night.

When Petelos told me about the incident, his sober tone of voice told me the woman’s death had truly touched him and made him grateful for his own life and the blessings he has around him daily.

Just talking to him and writing the story forced me to think about things differently, even if just for a few minutes.

My life is abundantly comfortable and — relatively — extremely safe. I don’t know if I will ever make a trip of the same magnitude as Petelos’ journey, but thanks to him telling his story, I can be reminded of just how much God has blessed my family and me.

Petelos plans to make a presentation about his trip on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Hoover Library Plaza. I plan to be there — if you’re interesting in hearing the mesmerizing details and seeing some stunning photos, you might want to consider making the trip as well.

Amy Jones is the associate editor for the Shelby County Reporter. She can be reached at 669-3131 ext. 30 or by email at amy.jones@shelbycountyreporter.com.