A Crested Butte mountain bike trail. By Jennifer Olson.
I’m on the road a lot. This summer, it’s been western Colorado, then Utah, then various Colorado ski towns, then California, then Utah again, and Massachusetts last weekend. Later this month: North Carolina and more of Colorado. Without a real routine, I find myself a little lost and longing for a constant. I’ve looked for it in workout regimes, in people, in caring for a garden, at church, in chocolate, and the list goes on.
One of the places where I have found stable ground is on the trails. They’re where I can spend time in a place just to be in that place—almost always. I’m not saying I’ve discovered that one thing that steadies me all the time, but I do retreat to the trails on a bike or on foot more often than not.
I know that I should be able to count on myself for constancy and possess a balance that leaves me grounded, no matter the frequency of my travels and regardless of my physical place. But, I’m still sort of hunting for something outside myself and beyond my own jurisdiction.
So, I’m wondering, do you also look for a constant like this? What’s comforting or reliable to you? What and who can you count on to be constant when you’re all over the place? Where do you retreat to ground yourself? And, most of all, do you carry a balance that steadies you in varying circumstances?
I have a lot of consistency in my life…a job I’ve been at for a long time, a home that I plan on staying in for quiet a while, favorite hobbies and projects that are always on-going. The thing I consistently seek to help me find balance is adventure and travel. Although I love my steady, everyday life, I find that planning my next adventure trip can often be just the thing I need to give my mood a lift. Once I discovered how healing, and freeing, and revitalizing an adventure trip could be (I took my first when I turned 40), I made a promise to myself to try and do (at least) one every year. So, in a way, THAT has become my constant. I take such pleasure in researching my next destination, planning the trip, bargain-hunting for great gear, and then recording the experience with my camera. Whenever I’m feeling down or discouraged, I know that setting my sights on my next adventure–in whatever form it takes–will give me a goal and something wonderful to look forward to.