Solo Hiking in Spring

bear lake hiking
I saw several turtles sunning near the water.

I did my first solo hike of spring, and the state forest was exactly what I needed. Pitcher plants were in bloom, a young water moccasin let me pass without incident, and the swamp was loaded with turtles. I love being in the woods without smog and cell phones. I didn’t camp this trip, but I hiked for three hours and wished I could’ve stayed longer.

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said “you live your life how you live your days.” It’s simplistic and true. I tend to spend a lot of time regretting past mistakes and anticipating the future. The forest always humbles and grounds me and reminds me to take deep breaths and appreciate the gifts in my life instead of focusing on stress.

bear lake hiking
Bear Lake beautifully reflected the sky during my hike.

It’s easy to feel stuck. Career worries, astronomical health insurance premiums, past choices that haunt the present… my list of ulcer-inducing thoughts goes on and on. But doesn’t everyone’s? The choice I have—every minute of every day—is this: what am I going to do right now?

Feeling stuck, I think, is a symptom of ignoring my blessings. Is my life perfectly how I want it to be? No, but I’m damn lucky for the love and adventures that surround me every day, and I feel better physically and emotionally when I celebrate the good things rather than wringing my hands over the bad.

My path is mine to choose.

8 Replies to “Solo Hiking in Spring”

  1. beautifully put my ol’ writing buddy ;). I needed to read this today by the way. thank you.

  2. Many beautiful, very small things you noticed on your hike, along with all that enormous beauty. I wish we lived closer. I miss those great conversations as we struggled to stay awake! I think we are meant to live our lives from a place of gratitude. How did we (in general) move so far away from that? Thanks for reminding me today. I’m thankful for you, friend.

  3. I was recently diagnosed with fibro, and through the process I was unable to run or exercise the way I used to. I’m now on medication that is working wonders for me, and I found hope and inspiration in your blog that one day I would be able to run again. Thank you

    1. I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis but I’m glad the medication is working for you! Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a great weekend! 🙂

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