The biggest little adventure

Since my little legs could carry me, I've trekked the way my parents have- big and strong. So, when Dad and I decided to take on the Appalachian Trail (AT), it seemed fitting to do a thru-hike.  We could cover ~10 miles a day for 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine, carrying only what fit in our pack and soul. We're intense, somewhat obsessive people who have both found healing from PTSD in nature. We know and need the vast space and peace for our inner and outer worlds that only comes from extended time in nature. 

We are totally the thru-hiking types.

But life has other plans for us. We've been forced to do a -gag, small, section hike. In fact, the smallest, easiest section hike of the whole trail. And we're doing it at what must be an all-time record for the slowest completion. I told an old AT-thru-hiker that I was taking two weeks to do the West Virginia and Maryland sections, and he literally laughed at me and waited for my real answer.

We're averaging five miles a day, which, in case you're wondering, is the same daily step count as my geriatric cat, Luke.

We're left with our true toughest summit yet- accepting our limitations. Dad is almost 76 with all the aches that come with that, and I'm 32 with degenerative disk disease, an old back break that still bothers me, and early arthritis in my neck. This has been a long time coming for both of us - the reckoning that our biggest challenge now comes in the form of accepting smaller adventures.

(look how cool Luke is ->)

Instead of finding peace in the escape and grandiosity of the journey we've gotten so skilled at, we're learning to integrate small pieces, savoring each bite instead of filling our plates at the buffet. We're learning that sometimes the experts must move as beginners and that doing so doesn't make the journey less skillful, valid, or enjoyable.

I've always said that nature is the best teacher, and the bigger the trip you can take, the better.

But nature has taught me once again that sometimes the biggest best adventures are the ones with the least amount of steps. We're embracing the challenge of starting small and learning to enjoy the simple and small stuff.

Whether your hike is literal or metaphorical, I hope you find joy in the simplicity and accessibility of your journey. 

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Whether your hike is literal or metaphorical, happy trails!