I expected it to be like any other trip to the library with my daughter.

I expected we’d read some books, she’d pick out some she’d want to take home, and then she’d refuse to read them again because she’d much rather read her own copies of Olivia and the Fairy Princesses and Horton Hears A Who!.

Every. Single. Night.

Except this time wasn’t like any other time at all.

Something special happened.

First I should share that earlier this year, I set some goals for things I’d like to accomplish in my life.

One of them is to ski on every continent in the world.

When I first came up with the idea, I hadn’t a clue about how I could make it happen.

Could there even be ski hills in Africa?

Why yes! Three of them.

What about South America? Yes again! And from the sounds of it, pretty good ones.

What about Antarctica?

Impossible.

Isn’t Antarctica where only three scientists go every 20 years because it’s inhospitable and devoid of life except when penguins march through it to their nesting grounds?

Do they even allow people to go to Antarctica?

If so, how the heck does one get there?

My mind at this point has me and my skies stowed away beneath a huge pile of dried food rations on board a Zodiac with some Russian scientists.

And then once I hit the shore, I take off running, complete a few turns before getting tackled by security guards, handcuffed, and forced to conduct rote scientific samples with rancid penguin dung until the next boat arrives 20 years later.

That melodrama over, I decided to Google it.

Turns out, it’s not impossible.

Turns out, it’s teeming with wildlife.

Turns out, several cruise ships—cruise ships!—escort about 25,000 tourists there every year.

And when the cruise ships arrive, several excursions happen.

I could easily shred some pow before the security guards wrestled and shackled me.

My mind was so blown and amazed by this possibility that I decided to leave further research for another day.

Which brings me back to the trip to the library with my daughter.

Leaving her absorbed in a few books, I sought out the big people section.

My eyes scanned the “New and Fast Reads” shelf and my gaze fell on Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die.

Perfect! I’d be able to find the best places to ski, not just hills I could find on the internet.

I picked it up so I could flip through it.

The book flopped open to a page.

It was all about skiing in Antarctica.

Wow!

I cannot describe the feeling that went through me.

Let’s just say that it galvanized within me that this trip to Antarctica is absolutely, without a doubt, now totally possible!

It’s so going to happen!

And I won’t get tackled or handcuffed or anything.

And the bonus?

The port the cruise ships leave from in South America is home to some of the world’s best skiing.

So I can do two continents in one trip!

I was absolutely gob smacked.

And floored.

And unbelievably excited!

And that brings me to today as I reflect on this remarkable experience.

It taught me that if I think something is impossible, it probably isn’t, and I need to just open my eyes to possibility.

The universe is watching and it will reveal what you need.

So what areas of your life do you assume are out of reach?

Challenge those assumptions and watch the magic unfold.

PS – I borrowed the book of course, and I’ve tried several times since to get it to open on that Antarctica page. I CAN’T. It ALWAYS goes to either a section a few pages before, or another section a few pages after. Spooky.

PPS – My daughter is actually reading her library books this time. Now that’s really spooky.