Real Life Lessons from the Long Trail
This past summer was a summer of a lot of personal reflection. My yearly hiking trip with friends was to Vermont for a section of the Long Trail. All that thinking lead me to this: Lessons from the Long Trail. I guess really you can place your own trail there; lessons from the trail, but the point will be seen.
First I have to admit something. If you look at the dates of the previous posts on this blog... its been a while. I originally began writing this to give people a review of the best day hikes in Connecticut and the New England area, complete with tips from experience and of course all centered around my little hiking buddy, my son, Christopher. Then life happened. I just got hired as a Police Officer and got shipped away to the training academy and my greatest of intentions fell overboard. Now here I am with a spark that is now so much greater than before and I have so much that I want to write about I hardly know where to begin. So I reinvented the blog.
I recently read something online about a study that was done that listed the most boring towns in Connecticut. My town happened to be number 10 on the list. I was intrigued so I read on. Come to find out, I am contributing to the reasons for good old Cheshire, CT to having rounded out this distinguished list. The only criteria they considered was how much of the population was built of parents and how many of the town's activities were extremely family oriented. The study essentially implied that if you have kids you are boring. I guess the Jersey Shore has become the only standard for an exciting life.
When I was younger and apparently more hip, the outdoors was my world. I was always scheming some kind of adventure. The exact opposite of boring. Somewhere along the way that flame became dimmer, and to the point where a once a year trip was all I really planned for. Life got in the way. That's a great catch-all excuse.
Since my son was born, it seems that everything I do brings be back. Everything has been reborn and everything I look at and do, I see from younger eyes. That brings the excitement back to me. This past year I have gone hiking, even just day hikes, more than maybe the last 10 years combined. My son is at the age (just turned 4) where he is starting to get his legs under him. You should see this kid go!
Yeah that's him. Like a Billy Goat.
We have a "special spot" that we hike up to on the Metacomet Trail that overlooks the Police Academy in Meriden, CT. He gets so excited about the wildlife, the views, "rock hopping," that it really brings me back to why I love to be out there. "Dad, I'm a really really good hiker, right?" You know it, Buddy.
So I put this all into perspective and here it is. My top 5 + 1 list of lessons I've learned on the trail this year. I did a lot of thinking while hiking the northern 30 miles of the Long Trail in the summerof 2015 alongside some amazing friends. This list is based on actual truth and experience, not like certain one way perspective "studies." So check it out.
1. Do, or don't. Everyone has something that they love to do. You can either do it, or don't do it. Either way it is your choice. Don't make an excuse. Look at the "things" you do day to day and ask yourself if it is helping you, hurting you, or is it just passing time. I am absolutely sure if you look at it this way you will find ways to cut out the nonsense and make time for what you want to do, and who you want to be.
2. Surround yourself with "big headed" people. If people are bringing you down, holding you back, or just simply not on the same wavelength, then cut the ties. Or at least limit your interaction. My partners on the Long Trail are some of the most big headed people I know. But not in the sense that you would think, they are not full of themselves. They have big ideas, big dreams, and everything they do is big. We could probably solve the worlds problems out there if given enough vacation time. We certainly find a way to solve our own problems at least and we truly inspire each other to do even bigger things.
3. Train, and live healthy. Here is a distance hike principal with real life applications. You have to be prepared for what is to come. Are you fit and healthy enough to embark on this journey? Unless your aspirations are to be the best at video games and winning at TV then you have to be physically prepared for whatever you do. Constantly reevaluate your physical condition and make sure you are two steps ahead of where your daily tasks require you to be. You will enjoy whatever it is you are doing if you are not pooped and miserable halfway through it. Hiking is just an obvious example of this. Walking 10 miles a day in rough terrain with 30 extra pounds on your back will make you wish you worked out more often. Going on vacation to Martha's Vineyard and biking for the first time since you were 15 around the island all day, and being so sore and miserable you miss the whole next day, or worse getting injured, would be another wake up call.
4. Plan. Know where you are going and make sure you are prepared with the proper gear. Who knew that Northern Vermont in June would be so rainy, I didn't. I mean the trail was literally a stream 80% of the time we were out there. After a while it wasn't worth the acrobatics to try and avoid the puddles and mud so we trudged right through. Everything was wet, but my sleeping bag and extra clothes were dry. I have "dry bags" for this sort of thing and thankfully I brought them. Plan for life as well. Make a list of what you want to do today, what you want to accomplish by the end of the week, where you see yourself next year, and what you will have ten years from now. Make that list and put it in your face. Stare at that list every day and then make everything you do every minute of every day a part of making those dreams happen. If what you are doing is hurting you, keeping you from those dreams, or delaying those dreams then cut them out of your life. Plan to succeed, or plan on getting comfortable in the rut.
5. Be forever "young." First of all, never let anyone dictate what is best for you. There is no such thing as one defined avenue for excitement and happiness. People are fulfilled in so many different ways. What you could take out of that article that bashed us boring mom's and dad's is that the young do have something right. Everything is new and exciting. It's your own fault if you choose not to see things that way. If you are in rut it is probably because you are surrounded by the wrong people or you don't allow yourself to get out and live. It's all about perspective. Have you ever looked at someone you've known your whole life and suddenly noticed something new about their face? Now all you can see is that new feature and they look totally different. Everything in life is like that, you just have to look at it differently and suddenly what's old is now new. Now that's something to get excited for.
6. Whiskey. And finally, the number one rule of the trail: always have a little whiskey to share with your friends in the end. It's worth the extra weight. Tullamore Dew is nice.
Check out http://www.seanranieri.com/ for some amazing photography. Seriously, this guy is good.
