Pre trip thoughts
As much as the rat race stresses and consumes us, it also
provides a comfort, a sort of familiarity that I found myself clinging to as
time ticked us forward. On the
precipice before we began a 6 week, 200 + backpacking trip following the majority
of the John Muir Trail, I was surprised at my own feelings that wanted to cling
to what’s comfortable instead of embracing the unknown. As challenging as it is to juggle due dates,
deadlines, staff meetings and emails, it’s also safe and it comes with
cushioned seats. But I know that as I
sit here typing this, the challenge to transition to a summer of walking will
pale in comparison to the challenge to transition back.
Trading in hot showers for cold mountain lake plunges and
cushions for tree snags will be necessary for our family to experience the deep
toxic cleanse of city life. Taking our
9-year-old girl and our 11-year-old boy on our journey is as natural for us as
loading up a mini van and heading to Disney Land is for others. For the countless of people who have passed
us on the trail and asked us (as they snap a picture of our kids for proof),
“How do you get your kids out here?” we write this book.
We have arrived at our staging area for the summer that is
having it’s therapeutic effects of pulling me away from a manic desire for
doing into a place of just being. These pages will contain our stories from the
trail, how it shaped us, the people we encountered, and how you could join us
out there.
No comments:
Post a Comment