Why We Hike: Part 1

When we hike

Our body is intimately engaged with the wild world around it

Every step / every stone / every path

Every grip / every branch / every crevice

Every cooling / every river / every evergreen’s shade

Every breath / every breeze / every gust of wind

We are not separate from the natural world

We are a part of it

We are bound by its limits

It is not something outside of us to be stared at

It is our experience—what we must feel and sense to continue

That’s where the awe gets in

Every time you connect your body with the earth, you invite in connection with the planet

Every time you connect with the planet you feel the joy of simply being here

Every time you feel that joy you are truly living

You are breathing deep breaths of what the wisest ones know—

No complexity necessary…the point of life is to be fully alive.