Take A Hike!

Rebecca Rosario 3/29/23

I recently took a trip to the breathtaking Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. This Florida girl needed a dramatic change of temperature and scenery stat!

My sweet hosts took me on a stunning hike in a town called Montreat. This is a hike that they take most of their guests on. It is .7 miles out and back with a summit called “Look Out Trace”.

Just under 2 miles doesn’t seem that much for a Florida girl, but hiking miles are kind of like dog years if all you are used to is flat surfaces! Big steps, large rocks, tree roots and a steep incline are quite a challenge for my stalky 5’ frame! It brought my heart a chuckle as local kiddos ran up and down the hiking trail like it was their very own playground that parents bring them to, to burn off some energy!

People coming down as I was coming up kept saying “you’re almost there, and it is so worth it!” I kind of loved that.

As I reached the top, my hosts were waiting and one of them was preserving the memory by snapping pictures of me. I was already out of breath, but one look around and I couldn’t even breathe with the expansiveness of the mountains around me. The clouds felt within reach. The birds flew by next to you, nothing was taller, nothing. The wind was the loudest sound around, oh except a group of college kids coordinating group photos and camera angles.

I thought, THIS must be why the term “mountain top experience” is a thing. The top of the mountain, the goal, the view, the feelings, the high. My eyes began to well up. We spent some time at the summit, laughing and celebrating. Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that the wind was very strong at the top, and I quickly sat down and stayed seated because I was afraid I’d blow away. I even took all of my photos from this position! This is where we insert the image of small children running around like it’s a playground again.

Well that was incredible! We regrouped and started our descent. Our hosts led the way and I followed. Not even 5 steps down, I caught my foot in between a boulder and the mountain and ate it. Like full on, summersault, dirt in your mouth kind of ate it. I was bleeding and I couldn’t tell from where.

I felt the tears return, but this time because I was physically hurt, completely embarrassed and wanted to go home. My host and friend quickly gasped and came to my aid. We assessed the situation. I was able to get up, steady my footing and resume the walk. She shared with me that she had wipes in the car for clean up, I shared with her that I may have messed my pants and she reiterated, “like I said, I have wipes in the car for clean up.”

The rest of the descent was fun as we made light of my tumble and stopped for photo ops. Newbie hike hack, stopping for photo ops can help you catch your breath without admitting your dying inside. You’re welcome. I also could share with the folks coming up, that they were almost there and it is so worth it!

We ended the trip with a visit to a brewery and I tried my first cider (yum). The setup of this place was awesome, outdoor picnic tables, gravel, a larger than life sandbox and music. We sat together, talked and laughed.

As a people we tend to focus on these mountain top experiences. When we arrive at “the thing”. The graduation, the weight loss, the car, the ceremony, the title, the promotion, the insert here whatever you’ve given your life to.

On my hike, I couldn’t just arrive at the top. I had to get real uncomfortable first, I had to fall on my face and eat dirt, I had to be open to encouragement and humble myself to correction. Without any of that the top wouldn’t have been possible.

I realized that the tumble was part of the hike, the summit was part of the hike, the celebration was part of the hike.

I believe it really helps my healing heart to zoom out and see the hard things, the sad things, the great things, the triumphs as woven together to make my story. If I give them equal voices in my story it doesn’t give one of the aspects agency to dominate the story. For example, if I focus on the summit, I could be disillusioned with life because of the lack of summits. If I focus on the fall, I could walk around thinking I can’t do anything right. If I focus on being out of breath, I could feel ill equipped.

May we be able to zoom out of our circumstances and see them as part of the whole. May we give them the attention they need without allowing it to define us and may we know that it all belongs and it’s all part of our magnificent stories!

Now go take a hike!

Love,

Rebecca