Solo Hikes

Do you ever have those days when your head is buzzing with too much to think about? That's usually the case for me, and by lunchtime every day I'm ready to clear some space for my brains and refocus my thoughts. Enter: solo hikes. Don't get me wrong, I love hiking with buddies but sometimes there is nothing quite like a brisk walk up a rocky trail to add some clarity to my day.

I've often thought about why it is so refreshing. Certainly the exercise brings out all the good feels. The sense of adventure awakens the energy for life that can get buried under the daily stresses. (I'd refuse to believe you if you tell me you don't feel alive when you hear something rustling in the bushes and imagine it's a prowling cougar.) It's bigger than that for me, though. Mostly, I think when I am among other living things and am in a position to observe the circle of life firsthand, I develop a deeper appreciation for the life in me, for my position in relation to other elements of the world, and a renewed perspective of something that is much, much bigger than myself.