It was autumn when I started my hike, winter when I returned. I was burdened when I started out, not by my backpack, Igor, which often makes me feel like the Marty Feldman character in Young Frankenstein, (I left Igor home) - but by the weight of decisions I have to make, without all the necessary information.
I veered off the trail following old snowshoe tracks on a path I’d never taken before. Even where the snow disappeared I could see impressions of the snowshoe edges in mud. I felt liberated and empowered by this tiny achievement, knowing I could take this trek without my normal supply line and that I could wander off the beaten path and find my way back to the trail at another point.
As I trekked along, I noticed the bits of twig, fragments of bark and torn leaves that littered the snow. What I love most about today’s hike is the absence of car and ATV exhaust that often makes 10-day-old snow black and grimy in cities and parks invaded by vehicles.
I need this woods time to keep both my mind and my body flexible. I have an unproductive habit of selling myself short, underestimating my abilities and beating myself up. I’m blessed because of the people in my personal and professional life who believe in me even when I doubt myself.
The clean, crisp air and the vigorous hike have everything to do with my ability to gain perspective. I haven’t made any decisions, but I know that when the time is right, the decisions will reveal themselves.