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exploring
Looking back I realize how much of the best experiences we had were from the unexpected detours. Finding a waterfall in the high desert or scrambling up a cliff in search of Anasazi ruins were not on my agenda. But my trip would be incomplete without those experiences
What I’ve learned is that it’s not as much as what we do nor how we explore … as long as we’re out and about doing this together. Making memories. We can go to the coast and do nothing other than walk along the beach and look at the waves. Or hike to a waterfall we’ve been to several times. The “what” is not as important as the “why.” And that is to be together and make memories.
It is no understatement to point out that 2020 was a year for the ages. While hopeful, it’s not like 2021 was the quick turnaround we had hoped for. In rapid-fire succession one traumatic event has happened after another over the past year. This goes far beyond COVID-19 and all of the deleterious effects from it (death, job loss, poverty, bankruptcy, etc). It’s just been a really challenging year since the pandemic hit. Not only that, but it has taken a psychological toll on us all. We’re simply worn out and tired. We need a reprieve. An outlet. An escape. That is why exploring is a gift.
There’s something buried deep within our psyche to avoid pain. Or if we’ve gone through it we quickly block it out (or try) and years later what we recall is a sanitized version of the events minus the pain, the struggle, the adversity, and the emotional and physical exhaustion we may have felt that the time. Obviously when it comes to true trauma … childhood abuse … loss … there is no sanitizing it. It was and is horrific. A broken record that we try to forget or at least attempt to mute.
We have the same inclinations when it comes to many of our so-called adventures, right?
Currently I’m sitting in front of my computer (obviously). But what is significant about that statement is it comes on the heels of cleaning up, showering, and putting away my gear after a mountain bike ride in the rain. You know how it goes. Seemingly more time is spent cleaning, de-layering, and putting stuff away after the ride than actual time out on the trail. That’s part of life for many months of the year here in the Pacific Northwest.
Was it a good trip? Would I classify it as a good ride? What then is a good trip or ride? Are those even fair questions?
