Stressed out? Take a hike!

Having a lot to deal with and do during the past few weeks, hubby thought it would be a great idea to throw in a weekend of hiking. Not having any time to prepare, being really unfit and in a bad head-space  I almost did not join in. I had to get some new hiking shoes and told him if I cannot find some in time, I’m not going. I had to have some kind of excuse. For the most part, I was terrified. My exercise routine consists of running from the train station to the bus station and from the bus station to my office in the morning and vice versa in the afternoon. And as the bus-drivers were on strike this last 2 weeks, it meant that my routine was null and void - as I get dropped in front of the office.  

But, I found the shoes – after searching through a whole lot of shops I found a pair of nice boots. It was the last pair in the shop and not my size at all. Out of desperation I tried them on and WHALA! They were perfect...

Saturday morning just before 6:00 we departed. The day was grey and there was a light drizzle in the air. Not ideal for walking around outside. The morning did not go well and I was feeling a bit irritated and tense. After we started walking hubby broke the news that the route is not 7’ish km as he thought, but a whopping 14km!!!! I almost fainted! But, seeing as there was no turning back I walked.

I walked and it was hard, very hard. And then it got better. Then I felt better. Then I caught myself smiling and feeling happy. I looked around and all I could see was mountains and valleys – it was HUGE and it made me feel small. Small in a good way - in the sense that the lives that we live are so small, so insignificant compared to the world out there. This means that all our problems are also small, not as important as we make them out to be.

I felt grateful and alive and content. I got to sit beside a waterfall and breathe – it was wonderful. Near to the end the road got really steep with stairs up the slopes and it almost killed me. My legs and lungs were burning fire and I felt like crying and giving up. But I push on and made it to the top. I made myself proud and realised that I can go on, long after I think that I can’t. I’m stronger than I think and that the world is a beautiful, beautiful place. And that my husband knows me very well and knows what will make me happy and that I’m blessed to have a person like him in my life.

I’m glad to say that I got to ride back – the men (and 1 lady) walked the 14km back on Sunday. My new shoes left me with 2 small blisters only. My legs were stiff for a total of 3 days and I made some lovely new friends...

Life is all about the journeys – some of them short and sweet, some tough but worth the effort, some takes a bit longer to complete. As long as we always remember to take the journey, even if it scares us, to stop and appreciate the scenery along the way and to go on and reach the end, even if we feel like giving up. And remember to walk the journey with the people we love, it makes the hard parts better and the easy parts so much more enjoyable.