A New Adventure

It was at this same time last year, that we were preparing for our camping adventure in Colorado and New Mexico.  This year we are upping it a notch and adding in lots more backpacking trips, as we have next years trip in mind already.   This year we plan on heading to the Rocky Mountains and get some serious backpacking trips under our belts.   This is nothing new to us, hiking and backpacking have been a part of my life since I was 10 years old and as soon as we got married, nearly 38 years ago, I introduced it to Emery and he loved it from the start.  
Life is about living out your dreams and even more so when you are retired and have the time to do the things you love.  Such is the case for us.  We have the time to do what we love.  I recently read a quote about backpacking that made me laugh, simply due to the truth of it. It went something like this. . ." backpacking is where you spend a fortune to live like a homeless person."     This year our hikes require more equipment than in previous years.  Bigger backpacks, better rain gear, better water purifiers etc.  But next years adventure that's in the planning stages, hiking the nearly 500 miles of the Colorado Trail, will require even more !  But, what fun we are having and what fun we will have.  But beyond the beauty and serenity of our back country hiking, is something deeply profound.  We learn what we are made of, how strong our determination is.  In swimming, I have leaned that there are days when the first 500 meters are tough, but as soon as I push past that feeling of wanting to quit, I find that I can go on for so much further. Usually I manage to climb out of the water after 1500 meters, with a feeling of accomplishment that invigorates me for the rest of the day.  I have leaned that in many areas of life, once we push past the difficult stage, we can go on for so much longer.     I am looking forward to this years backpacking trip to discover more about what I can do at age 62.   I am excited about seeing new horizons, new mountain tops, and new paths.   We look forward to new challenges and so we are setting the bar higher each year.    Life is good, it really is.