As I pushed forth into my internship with an eager mind, I had aspirations to become an active individual before the dawn of the beach season. I’d like to think of the beach as my “X” factor. It is the one thing that can always push your will regardless of the circumstances. I want to believe coming into a new year brings a clean slate to your plate. I usually become fixated on changing my daily routine in hopes of creating a life-altering habit. The cold reality is that most of us come to terms with the phrase “good habits die hard.” I can’t say that I am a stranger to this phenomenon that seemingly takes us all by surprise. I saw it at college, year in and year out (I am on the five year plan). In the early weeks of January, local gyms tend to see new faces. The bright smiles of new patrons are always accompanied by a strong sense of determination.
All is well in the world, and spirits are soaring high on motivation that happens to manifest itself from thin air. Case closed. Things are fine and dandy right up until a few weeks pass and another strange event takes shape. This is what I like to call the temptation phase of any one task. As soon as you feel accomplished, it is okay to slack here and there right? This is the type of logic that says it is more than okay to swing your arm over to hit the snooze button time after time. At this point for most new gym members and fitness enthusiasts alike, the will has now begun to fade and the newly formed resolution finds its way onto the backburner. Once again, the struggle continues.
Some may be asking themselves, “How can I break the temptation to make excuses day after day?” I set out to find this very answer. As my journey begins, I continue to bridge new connections as I strive to keep a community aware of hidden gems that are sitting right in plain sight. Coincidently, this is always the goal of Scott Kierzek in the community recreation office. Finding new ways to get people moving, and ultimately improve the quality of life for people like you and I. I tip my hat to Scott as he provided information about a club that I could investigate. Now I know it may seem like the off-season for an avid hiker, but there happens to be a will to brave the snowy trails each week for an elite group of individuals. The few, the proud… the hiking club!
I got word that the hiking club meets each week on Monday mornings just around 8:15 A.M. Having this exciting information, I didn’t just want to exercise my fingers and tell people when and where they could meet up while I sit in my cozy, pseudo-office. That is way too boring! Besides, talking about the hiking club does not do a justice to the people that wake up each Monday morning and complete a rejuvenating hike through the dunes. I held that thought in mind as I decided it was a prime time to join the hiking club for an early morning trek.
As I arrived at the Felt Mansion, the temperature was hovering above single digits, and I was sad that I didn’t have the power to grow a beard at the snap of my fingers. Soon after arrival, I was introduced to the brave and energetic group that straps up their boots week to week. I may have been the youngest person to join the group by about a decade or so, but I have to give them all a lot of credit. Most of the hikers were in better shape than I was. Let’s just say I wasn’t leading the excursion…
We hiked up, down, around, up, up some more, down a little bit, and up a lot more. We finally hit the shore of Lake Michigan! Now some of you may be saying “who cares?!” Coming from someone who has never seen the frozen waves of winter, it was a sight to behold. Seeing the sight of water crashing over the crystallized beach was well worth the two-mile hike to get there. We walked along the shoreline for a while to let the lactic acid take a moment to recede from our tired legs. The best part is that we were halfway there! If anyone is familiar with long road trips, we all know that the ride back (in my case, the hike back) seems to always take half as much time.
I found myself huffing and puffing as we retreated back into the woods up a steep incline. Right at this moment as I was zigzagging across the hill to keep my footing, I could not help to hold back a big smile from my face as I began to reflect on why I was out in the park in the first place. Some don’t take the time to reflect on what they have done, however, I find it as a great exercise to live in the now. It isn’t everyday that you jump right in with complete strangers and endure an exhilarating hike!
Great conversations were to be had along the way through the winding trails. I came to the realization that the world always appears to become smaller and smaller each time I journey into the unknown. Sometimes when you throw yourself into unfamiliar situations like this one, more often than not you tend to come out with a better understanding of your own goals and ambitions. In addition, I had a lot of laughs with people I may have never met had I not sought out the adventure seekers that make up the hiking club.
I believe it was Tom Petty that once sung, “…If you never slow down, you never grow old…” That is the motto I will stick with the members of the hiking club forever.
Catch me next time on Digging Douglas as I bend your brains into the confines of a coffee cup.
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