I proudly imagine myself to be one of those who doesn’t fit the mold. I mean, look at me, I live in a van, fer cryin’ out loud. So I sigh and gnash my teeth a little when some overused bit of pop wisdom applies to my uniqueness.
No! I’m different! I’m original! I’m quirky! My truths can’t be summed up in a threadbare aphorism!
But sometimes I have to hang my head and admit, yeah, okay, that fits me. Ew, it makes me feel so… ordinary.
Current case in point:
The adventure begins where your comfort zone ends.
There I was, driving along a sketchy dirt road into the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument—a huge uninhabited area, sort of the middle of the middle of nowhere—when I realized my quest for interesting hiking trails had taken me out of my comfort zone. Several times. Rats. But yay! The braver side of me has been gradually beating the fearful side of me into submission. And it has been fun.
Off into the beautiful desolation I go, clichés be damned.
From my experiences as an older OFM hiking the west. Be careful your new found bravery does not override your actual physical abilities. It can be deadly. My enlightenment happened in the Guadalupes.
ReplyDeleteYou might consider purchasing a Garmin InReach or a Spot. If you do find yourself far from help and in a situation that you truly cannot handle on your own, it's nice to be able to summon assistance.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about it. It's a budget matter at the moment. So far, it has been harder to get away from people than to have them when needed. The places I've been going are on the maps and in the guide books, so there have always been a few people around, if not a load of them. Three people drove by while I was taking the photo above, each asking if I was okay.
ReplyDelete