Hiking Toward Happiness

Wondering While Wandering

Ah yes. Day 3 - statistically the exact moment every trip begins its quiet descent into chaos.

Salt and I had ambitious plans. Fresh air, scenic views, wholesome bonding… all the usual lies we tell ourselves.

But every trip has a weak link - the one who mysteriously collapses just as things become mildly strenuous.

This time? Salt.

Fever? Unclear.

Convenient? Extremely.

A tragic coincidence that he was suddenly unwell and therefore unable to keep up with his relentlessly energetic, deeply unreasonable, hiking-obsessed mother?

We may never know.

Nurse Duty, Then The Great Escape

Naturally, I did the responsible thing - tucked him in, fluffed the pillow, provided hydration murmured gentle words of sympathy....then bolted.

Like, full sprint.

Not casually. Not reluctantly. Decisively.

Because if there’s one thing age teaches you, it’s this - stopping is a trap.

The moment you sit down, your body files for early retirement.

If you’re one of those irritating young optimists thinking, “But rest is healthy!” …bless your collagen-rich little heart.

Once you hit a certain age, rest stops helping and starts hurting.

Give it 30 minutes, and you’re creaking up like the attic door in a haunted house.

So no, I didn’t rest. I wandered. Because apparently, motion is the only thing keeping this antique functional.

Oh, and my sincerest apologies to anyone hoping I’d tell you that you’re gracefully marching toward the “golden years.” Yep… not seeing it from here.

Honestly it was a fantastic day. I walked at my own pace, stopped whenever I liked, snapped photos on a whim, no eye rolls or sulks.....perfect!

The Joy of Solo Wandering

To be clear, I wasn’t "hiking" hiking. There were no cliffs, no ropes, and no risk of requiring a rescue helicopter.

Just a road.

And Spotify - because silence is a slippery slope.

Somewhere between my third “this is the life” moment and the 17th photo of a “deeply emotional tree,” I thought… could I just do this?

Like, permanently?

Pack it all up, simplify, leave my job, wave goodbye to Salt and Pepper, and just walk?

The Temptation to Ditch It All

What if I simplified everything?

Left the job, the routine, the responsibilities.

Became one of those effortlessly serene, slightly sunburnt people who just… walk places.

There must be a whole community of them - calm, minimalist, emotionally balanced.

Then I remembered who I am.

I am not serene.

I am not minimalist.

And I am certainly not “community-oriented.”

I’m not even slightly approachable. I’m brutally honest, sarcastic, intolerant and....well...intolerable - I’m basically human repellent.

So no, not exactly “group hike” material.

Walking = Happiness (and Possibly, Tolerability)

But then I realized something shocking: I’m genuinely happy when I’m walking.

Like, actual serotonin-level happy.

So maybe that’s the secret: walk more, stress less, maybe even become tolerable.

Or maybe I’ll just outwalk the people who find me annoying. Either way, I win.

Final Thoughts: The Tribe of the Slightly Cynical Wanderers

So, here I am, wandering, rambling, overthinking - standard procedure.

If you’re one of those mythical perpetual walkers who traded 9-to-5 for nature and bliss — call me. I come in peace… mostly.