Adventure Hiking Trail

Adventure Hiking Trail - the return.

Today’s journey was a return to the Adventure Hiking Trail that I first explored a few weeks ago. Today’s hike was much different, however. Before Mark and I tackled the trail alone and right after heavy rains, today I was with a bigger group and the trail was much drier.

Normally I utilize my time on the trail for meditation, introspection, and self-reflecting. I was with a different crowd today. The hike was very peaceful and I always enjoy being in nature, but I had a different type of relaxation than I normally have. Today I spent time sharing small talk with others and listening to conversations echoing throughout the woods.

The section of the AHT we traveled today provided its visual wonders, including some streams, remnants of an old house, the shelter at the top of the hill, and of course the overlook. Signs of spring were everywhere, and I knew it was not far away. Many comments on how great this would look in the summer, were heard often. I thought how both autumn and what’s left of winter, to me those times provided the best views.

I felt distracted today. As always nature cleared out my head, but not to the extent it normally does. I plan to do more solitary hikes in the future. I love the sounds of nature and the pure peace I feel when I am not surrounded by noise, both from the world and from idle conversations.

I was glad I was able to take along others to experience what I had a few weeks back. It was evident that everyone had a good time, and we all let a small piece of us on the trail.

Until next time,

Tim

Comments

Rumination

I've found myself stuck in a loop lately. It's like my mind is on a hamster wheel, endlessly circling the same thoughts. I can't seem to shake them. It's exhausting. I've been there. That place where thoughts loop around and around, like a broken record stuck on the same groove. It's like my mind is a haunted house, and these persistent thoughts are the ghosts haunting me. I'll be thinking about something, maybe a conversation I had earlier in the day, and then suddenly, I'm spiraling. I'm replaying every word, every gesture, analyzing every detail. It's like a broken record, playing the same tune repeatedly. It's not just conversations, either. I can ruminate about my to-do list, my relationships, or even the weather. It's as if my brain is determined to find a problem, no matter how small. Rumination, as it's called, can be a real drain. It's like trying to go against the flow of a strong current. No matter how hard I ...

Nobody's Listening

I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...

Walk Tall

I recently listened to a song by one of my favorite artist’s name John Mellencamp . The song is called Walk Tall . As I listened to the lyrics, I could not help reflecting on the world around me. John states: The simple minded and the uninformed Can be easily led astray And those that cannot connect the dots Hey, look the other way People believe what they wanna believe When it makes no sense at all… This is a recurring sight for me, encountered daily on social media, in conversations, on the news, and most notably in politics. People readily accept Facebook, MSNBC, CNN, or even their neighbor’s post on any platform as the ultimate truth. Very few people bother to delve into the facts, and it’s even worse how furious they get when faced with differing opinions. A point proven recently with a post I saw on Facebook. Someone stated, “this proves people will argue about anything”. There was a picture of a plastic cup of water that was ¾ full. The caption below said a fu...

Ruminator

Search This Blog