Acadia

Over this past weekend I had the privilege of visiting Acadia National Park. It was exquisite, but not even solely for the landscapes and fresh air.

It was exquisite because I proved to myself that I can still hike & complete trails that are 90% Rock scrambles. It was exquisite because even after hiking I felt energized enough (and pain free enough!) to run down the rest of the trail, which was about a 3/4 of a mile.

It was exquisite because I witnessed a stunning sunset, and saw the Milky Way from the top of Cadillac Mountain. 

But as per usual, I learned something (duh). While people around me were basking in the glory of the sunset, or the night sky, I wasn’t. Sure, it was beautiful (can I say exquisite one more time?) but it didn’t have the same “wow” power for me. I didn’t feel like o had EARNED that sunset or that night sky. I hadn’t hiked miles on miles to get to new lands I hadn’t seen before. My body wasn’t tired enough to sit still and be present or focused on the natural beauty.

I feel like I’ve spoiled nature for myself, that if I don’t earn these moments, they won’t have the same effect on me that they do on the typical tourist or nature enthusiast. I haven’t felt tired in the way that I did on the trail, in too long. I need to get back to that feeling, and look forward to the day that I can.

On that note, I’m developing a glimpse of a plan. My goal is to secure a job, and then spend the fall and winter working. BUT WAIT, there’s more. I hope to adopt and train a dog during this time, so I can have a trail partner as I go back and complete the trail. This is to remove any of the emotionally draining elements of the trail (I.e. Isolation, not being able to let my guard down), while also allowing me to remove some of the weight from my pack, which would save my knees and hips. Will it be a little more challenging logistically? Sure. But I think it would be incredibly rewarding.