Hiking with my boyfriend turned out to be a great experience, although I wasn't too crazy about the idea in the beginning. I managed to discover quite a bit about myself and my relationship with the amazing guy I call my own. So what sort of life lessons does an up-tight city girl like myself learn from such an encounter with the great outdoors, you might ask? A lot, really. Like, for instance:
1) Always be prepared. This is super basic. Ever since I was a little kid, my mom trained me to be a good girl scout and "always be prepared" (although it still stings that she never actually allowed me to be a girl scout due to whatever inexplicable and often half-crazy reasons my parents had for not letting me do things. I just wanted endless supplies of Samoa cookies, though, so my motives weren't exactly pure anyway.) I had packed a (hot pink) lunch bag with sandwiches and snacks before leaving, so we managed not to starve. And Chris had water bottles in his backpack to prevent us from dying of dehydration. So it worked out well. Oh, and I can't forget to mention sunblock. As greasy and gross as it is, both of us did not so much as even turn slightly red. That equals success in my book. And whether it's hiking or studying in college to get a good career or planning financially, it's ALWAYS a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected.
2) Capture the memories. It isn't every day that I get to climb a fire tower with my love and see 80 miles of the beautiful New York landscape all around us. And I'm not just referring to cameras in this case. Taking pictures is all well and good (as talentless as I am at not cutting people's heads out of photos.) But the best part about times like this one is the fact that I'm experiencing a moment worth storing in my memory bank forever. And that applies to everything in life. How often do I take my phone out to post a Tweet instead of enojoying the moment I'm experiencing? Technology helps us all stay connected, yes, but it can also distract us from living in the here and now.
3) Let everything else go and just take it in. Working in superbusy Manhattan every weekday, it's hard for me to simply slow down and take a moment for myself. Hiking with Chris reminded me that it's healthy to take time out of my fast-paced life to stop and breathe in the fresh air. For a whole day, I felt truly free from the stress of taxis whizzing by and people pushing each other to get a seat on the subway. Not that I don't love the City and my amazing job (I absolutely do), but it's nice to forget about doing and just concentrate on being.
4) Explore different interests. As a typical girly girl, I initially assumed that I would completely detest the outdoors. But you know what? I actually liked it. I thought it was the most fun I've had in a while, and I can't wait to do it all again. I think what I'm trying to say here can be summed up in a couple good ol' cliches: "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and "you never know if you don't try." It's great to discover something completely unexpected about myself, especially since it was with Chris's help. One of the most important factors in a relationship, in my humble opinion, is that you learn about yourself through your significant other. There are so many things I've realized about myself that I wouldn't have figured out without Chris. I like to think that we bring out the best in each other, and that's what makes for a healthy relationship.
So there you go. Not bad for a girl who considers walking on the concrete floors of High Line Park in New York City a real nature experience, huh? These are my insignificant musings on my hiking trip with Chris. I hope you've enjoyed reading this post, but I also hope that you get to go out yourself and be one-on-one with the awesomeness of nature (if only for a few hours.)
Peace,
KT
P.S. Chris and I just celebrated 7 months together. So happy anniversary, love! :)
(image taken by yours truly - isn't the view beautiful?)
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