Aimless Journey (Entry 6)

 When visiting my favorite hiking trail this past week, I wanted to take a page out of Thoreau's playbook and venture into nature without any set destination in mind. The path that I normally choose runs in a semicircle to the lake about two miles beyond the starting point and it is mirrored on the other side by a slightly larger semicircle. For this trip, I decided that I wanted to explore the areas that were located between the two main trails and left in solitude by most, if not all, visitors to the trails. 

The tall grass in the meadows of this isolated area grew above my elbows in some parts and was the most obvious sign that there were rarely any humans traveling nearby. There were no trails cut through to guide my way, and the muddy trails that ran down the interspersed slopes of the region had no signs of footprints from any form of life that I could follow. After about fifteen minutes of taking random turns and paths through the forested parts of the uncharted area, I was absolutely lost in the wilderness, but not necessarily frightened. I was wary of coyotes and other creatures that may have posed a threat of some type, but outside of this, there was no reason for any concern. 

I kept going through the forest, and I came across a tree that had a scavenging armadillo underneath it. I wanted nothing more than to get a closer look at this reclusive animal, but I feared ruining the sanctity of its feeding grounds. It was trying to use its isolation to its advantage just as I was, so I made sure not to disturb its search lest I face an interruption of my own at some point in the future during my trek. After moving far enough away from the armadillo, I chose to leave the heavily wooded area and move into a more grassy area. 

Almost immediately upon leaving the woods, I came across a section of land that was surrounded by trees but home to a small field of short grass. Once I got here, I decided to sit back and take in all that was made available to me: the yelling of crickets from within the yellowing grass, the crackling of branches as squirrels ran across the canopy, and the rustling of the leaves as the wind blew the various types of foliage against one another. This area was by no means the most beautiful that I had ever seen, but it helped me see that nature's beauty undeniably exists throughout all of its parts, including the most plain.

I continued my hike after a long period of silent meditation, and I eventually (and thankfully) wound up back on the main trail. I had no goal in mind for today's walk, but I still felt that I had a fulfilling outdoor experience.