touching grass (literally)

 

So I went on a hike recently and it was the best thing I've done in a long time.

I went for 3 days and 2 nights since I couldn't take too long off work but it was the perfect amount of time. It is trips like these that I take that remind me of my long distant yearning for exploring nature. I'm reminded everyday of how beautiful the world we live in really is and it makes me sad that we spend so much of our time struggling to survive in it. Instead we could be wandering through the fields that stretch across the farmlands or hiking up the mountains protecting the towns bellow. Unfortunately, we are condemned to a life of work, those without wealthy backgrounds, and we are shackled down by the chains of "human life" that our society has created for us. 

Luckily, every so often I'm able to unlock those chains and head off on my own to explore a little more of the world I live in. 

On the first day of my hike I woke up early to shove in the last few things into the corner of my already bursting pack (I'm aware I'm an over packer) before re checking that I had everything I needed for the 28th time, as one can never be too sure. Had a disgusting healthy breakfast of greek yogurt, chia seeds, oats, and blueberries. I'm kidding, it was tolerable. My drive was 3 hours long and for most of my time I cruised while listening to music. Now every true music listener has that one song they find once a month and replay it 24/7 until they get so sick of it that they physically recoil when they hear it afterwards. Well that is yours truely with Arianna's "The Way", it has been taking everything else in my brain and chucking it out to fill up as much room in my head as possible. 

Starting the hike in the middle of the day at peak heat was probably an incredibly stupid idea on my part but that's the price to pay for belting songs while showering after breakfast this morning. Nevertheless, I strapped my pack on, only after double checking I had everything again of course, and sent my last text to my family before disappearing into the trees. Surprisingly the walk up wasn't difficult at all, granted I had chosen the easiest hike that one could probably complete in a day if they wanted to but I was rusty so I took 3 days instead. The tall tree provided a nice shelter from the hot sun as I skipped along the boardwalk that covered most of the path on the way. I stopped every now and then for a water break but for the most part it was a nice smooth walk up to the campsite accompanied by the various bugs that seemed to be aiming directly for my ears as I walked. Now first things first when arriving at camp was finding a good, covered, spot to hunker down for the night which wasn't too difficult since this trail had cut out places for you. For the first time in a long long while, I felt very at peace sitting with my chicken soup in hand, on a log, facing the cool ocean breeze with the distant gossip of seals interrupting every few minutes. 

Throughout the small struggles I had on this trip, I felt oddly relaxed being alone in nature, maybe it was because I was finally going to bed at a reasonable time instead of at the crack of dawn. Despite that, my life seemed to move a lot slower out there, I could move and breathe at a difference pace and find a rhythm I hadn't felt before. I felt almost too calm out there considering I had been warned about bears frequenting the area. However, I was away from the deafening noise of the world, society, social media, everything. All I had to do was exist on my log and walk to my next camp while enjoying the new worlds I was walking through. I focused more on my thoughts and what was right in front of me. How the sun sparkled on the water when I tore it's way through the heavy fog in the morning, or how the trail twisted around the huge trees that had demand to stay untouched. I had no real schedule to chase for the first time in my life and it was like I had a little bit of my own freedom back from my overthinking mind. 

My solitude removed any pressure that I was placing on myself, even if it was just for a moment, my nervousness about what was to come melted away along with my worrying expectations of how I needed to be. Unfortunately all that fear came right back when I spotted a HUGE black bear on the morning of my last day. Yeah, pretty sure I shat myself a little bit, but it fuelled my quick race back to the car.

So if you haven't yet, go touch some grass for a few days, I think it helps.
PS: Don't befriend a chipmunk, they will steal your breakfast

xoxo, ladybug