Between The Squiggles

Day 8 of writing something-random-just-to-see-if-I-can-do-it-without-getting-self-conscious

So. I was watching this video of a man trekking Alaskan mountains, finally spotting a cabin to take shelter in for the night. I envy people like that – solo travelers who’ve always been out there hiking, wandering, backpacking. I’m not sure what holds me back. It probably has to do with lack of exposure. Lack of exposure causes lack of confidence. And so the cycle continues.

Seems like I don’t have much to say today, but maybe I should still yap a little? Have a minute?

I’ve often wondered what makes backpacking, hiking, discovering new spots in nature feel so fulfilling. Because it surely is.

If you’re a traveler, tell me.

My guess is, yes, of course, there’s the joy or satisfaction of finishing a journey, or just moving through it. But what else?

Is it that when you’re in a garden of tulips or dipping your feet into the sea as the horizon folds into itself, you feel – for a fleeting second – that you belong to something larger than you? Like nature isn’t a backdrop, but something you’re made of?

Or maybe it’s the opposite feeling – when you’ve climbed a massive mountain, scaled something rugged, and for once, you’re not just absorbing the wild, but rising above it? Maybe standing at the top gives you a rare illusion that you’ve won. And even if the mountain lets you do it only for a moment – it’s enough.

Which one is it?