Life is a Climb, But the View is Great

Have you ever really stopped and admired how beautiful the world is around us? Often times we take it for granted. We see nature, not as something to relish but rather, it's just there. The sunrise happens in the morning, the sunset at night, flowers bloom, trees grow, it is all just nature's routine to us. We forget to stop and appreciate all of those things. Really, when you think about it, for the most part nature is one of the purest things in our world, it is always there. Nature is present for us when we need to just take a moment and basque in the beauty, which we should do more often.

Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. Don't get me wrong, it's no Iowa, but it has its perks. One of those perks which I have found to enjoy very much is all of the great hiking trails. Hiking has become a nice hobby of mine as of late. I think one of the aspects that makes it so great is, there are many different paths to follow when hiking. Typically I try to pick out one main trail to follow but as I go along a lot of the trails have multiple paths and really, it becomes my choice on which one to take. I see it as a metaphor for life. Like previously mentioned in my first post, who says we have to follow one path but rather, it is important for us to travel down many to really find out who we are. It can, however, be difficult because there have been times when I have gotten lost due to my choice of path, but I always find my way home. Again, totally relatable to life because the choices we make frame how our lives are going to turn out. The positive is that even if we stumble or make a bad choice we always have the opportunity for redemption and to pick ourselves back up. In my mind no one is ever truly lost, they are just making the hike.

Flat Rock Trail starts in Colonel Denning State Park and leads
to Blue Mountain in Tuscarora State Forest. 

Something else that is very gratifying about hiking is the beautiful nature that surrounds me. I love the smell of the trees, flowers, and fresh air. The sounds of birds, the wind, and leaves rustling is very calming. Now the hikes themselves vary by difficulty, some are steeper than others and it is not always easy making it to the top. Life is an uphill climb. One of my favorite trails I have hiked is called Flat Rock Trail. It is an awesome trip up to the top, it takes about forty five minutes and it is very steep, nothing like an uphill climb to show you how out of shape you are. Let's just say since graduating college my workout routine has dwindled somewhat. Anyway, the hike is well worth it because the view at the top is absolutely amazing. It makes it nice knowing that I am working to reach that point and as difficult as it is to get there, the feeling of looking out over the landscape just takes my breath away. Life is always going to be an uphill climb and when things get difficult it is unfortunately our inclination to stop and stay where we are because it is comfortable instead of treading on into the unknown. I don't know if anyone ever made it anywhere in life by being comfortable all the time, but rather, the uncomfortable is what helps shape us into the people we are today.

Morning view from the top of Blue Mountain.

Hobbies are a great thing because it is a way for us to escape everything else we have going on in our lives. I do at times find that statement contradictory and I wonder if others do too because if our intention is to simply use our respective hobbies as an outlet to escape from our lives, I don't know if that is necessarily a good practice. The term escapism, which means to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, comes to mind. I do think hobbies can help us, but it is all about our intentions. Escaping is not inherently a bad thing but it shouldn't be part of our routine when things get difficult. If my intention when going hiking is to run away from the difficulties of my life, well, they are going to be there when I return. No amount of hiking can make them go away and at some point we all have to face our difficulties, but it is nice to just feel free for a little bit. I need to start looking at my hobbies as a way of shaping who I am, not as a way of escaping and avoiding the difficulties in my life.

It might sound like I am against us having hobbies but that is not my intention at all. We do need to find things that interest us and that we enjoy taking part in but that should be why we do them. Participate in the things you love because you are passionate not because life is hard and it is a way to run away from it. Utilize your hobbies as a form of release but know that life will never stop and it will always be difficult at times, but don't be afraid. The "top" whatever that is for you, may seem unreachable but that is only true if you let fear dictate that. Nothing is unreachable if you keep climbing.

"After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more to climb."

- Nelson Mandela

Annie

Picture of the sunrise taken from a morning hike up Flat Rock Trail.