WILD Spaces
Do you feel the winds of change yet? It’s been a whirlwind of a week for most of us, right? October weather variances always brought the worst hurricanes according to my youthful experiences in the South aaaand here we are again. Also, the dry wind out West seems to spur more and more fires. Poor Wyoming. Apparently, it’s your year to burn.
Although I have always preferred the windy dance between Spring conquering Winter, I am beginning to appreciate the loss of Summer to Autumn’s dragon breath. Wind signifies the impending change of seasons and my life generally echoes these natural rhythms as I age.
What’s next? What burdens do I leave in my wake? What fresh ideas are blowing in on the breeze for me to grasp at? Will they blow on by or will I be lucky enough for them to smack me in the face like a red maple leaf blown free in a sudden gust?
I currently have too many creative ideas swirling around. My hopes and dreams collect like the backlit clouds gathering into the Big Dipper as I sip whiskey rockin’ on my front porch only to be dumped back into my eyes in the morn after the Earth has spun and the dipper upended. What does that even mean? That my dreams are recycled?
Then, the wind whipped tears out of our eyes, snot out of our noses, and berated our hands into icicles. We gathered for a group photo and descended rapidly down the endless switchbacks. (Very wise directional choice, ladies!) By lunchtime, we could slow our roll to admire the Fall colors shimmering under the cloudless October blue sky along our final flat eight miles.
I needed to meet these incredible humans, I needed to hold these conversations, I needed to feel alive and savor wild spaces for a full day. I needed the chance to fully appreciate my own backyard.
This experience has me considering creating a Trail Report section or a podcast. It has me wanting to ONLY share all my big adventures for the next 10 weeks of writing blog entries. How have I not already? What numerous distractions I have encountered!
“Dreams are like clouds, they change shape over time.”
~ Anonymous
We all know how full of whimsy I am. My wanderlust insatiable. (You can still refer to it as escapism, that’s fine.) This past week, I was invited on a long day hike with a group of local ladies but it happened to be on one of my work days. A solid five days of pouting ensued. I knew I wouldn’t resist the opportunity when I awoke at 2AM with John Muir quotes careening through my brain. The afternoon before the hike I finalized plans to play hookie from work and get a ride to the trailhead. How lucky I am for the flexibility of these humans to allow me to tag along!
And tag along I did! A three mile an hour pace is the push I physically and mentally need. It’s what I’ve missed the most over this past summer. While I huffed and puffed and tried to slyly take pics remaining in motion, I relished every moment. Watching the leaders reach the top of the pass sent happy goosebumps along my arms as I wanted to dance for joy in their accomplishment. I nearly cried too. Being in my element and struck with awe by the mesmerizing cliff faces in front of us felt like a spiritual journey. It inspires me.
I am hyped and energized again. How do I make money hiking trails with epic views? Hopefully, someday soon I will find balance with work so I can pitch articles to magazines. Sigh.
In the meantime, let’s be blown back to dreaming and the rearranging of such dreams. Maybe crowdsourcing will help me whittle a little? What are your thoughts? Selfishly, I want to know which interests you the most. The thru-hikes, backpacking treks, or the simple day hikes? More adventures? Or add my adventure stories to the many podcasts already covering that topic and keep my random thoughts rolling here on the blog? I am accepting thoughts, suggestions, questions, and answers. Please and thank you!
~ Stay wild,
🧚🏻♀️