One of the lessons I am slowly learning is to take each day for what it is and make the most of it. I have been laboring under the pressure of being behind my schedule. By doing so I have been losing some of the joy each day brings, and perhaps missing some of the best things going on around me.
June 14, 2013
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bike path that attracts close to 200 thousand people each year. It runs from Abingdon, VA to a spot almost 40 miles away in NC, with the town of Damascus as its half way point. The AT travels along the Creeper as it moves north out of town, and intersects it several times after that, adding the dimension of a river walk and tressel bridges to the days hike.
The Creeper began years ago as a roadbed for a small gauge railroad and now is a cinder foundation for family fun and exercise. It added just the right amount of variety to make perfect this near perfect day.
I was up and out by 7 am, headed into a perfect weather day. I strolled out of town enjoying a phone call home and then soon set to the business of climbing back on the trail and moving north.
By the end of the day, I have reached a shelter 15.6 miles away. The air has been moving and fresh, the times on the bike trail different and enjoyable, and my feet have made the distance without major complaint. I am sharing the shelter with one hiker and millions of insects which are swarming around the screen of my phone as I write.
One of the lessons I am slowly learning is to take each day for what it is and make the most of it. I have been laboring under the pressure of being behind my schedule. By doing so I have been losing some of the joy each day brings, and perhaps missing some of the best things going on around me. That doesn't mean I stop trying to do my best. It does mean that I do all I can, see all I can, learn all I can, and be glad for all I've done. A year ago I struggled to walk five miles in the park. Today I hiked over 15 miles in the woods, saw beautiful sites I have never seen before, and now am settled in a mountain shelter ready for a good nights sleep. And I want more?
I pray before this summer is over that I learn a lot more about being truly content. That is the path of the Phoenix.
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bike path that attracts close to 200 thousand people each year. It runs from Abingdon, VA to a spot almost 40 miles away in NC, with the town of Damascus as its half way point. The AT travels along the Creeper as it moves north out of town, and intersects it several times after that, adding the dimension of a river walk and tressel bridges to the days hike.
The Creeper began years ago as a roadbed for a small gauge railroad and now is a cinder foundation for family fun and exercise. It added just the right amount of variety to make perfect this near perfect day.
I was up and out by 7 am, headed into a perfect weather day. I strolled out of town enjoying a phone call home and then soon set to the business of climbing back on the trail and moving north.
By the end of the day, I have reached a shelter 15.6 miles away. The air has been moving and fresh, the times on the bike trail different and enjoyable, and my feet have made the distance without major complaint. I am sharing the shelter with one hiker and millions of insects which are swarming around the screen of my phone as I write.
One of the lessons I am slowly learning is to take each day for what it is and make the most of it. I have been laboring under the pressure of being behind my schedule. By doing so I have been losing some of the joy each day brings, and perhaps missing some of the best things going on around me. That doesn't mean I stop trying to do my best. It does mean that I do all I can, see all I can, learn all I can, and be glad for all I've done. A year ago I struggled to walk five miles in the park. Today I hiked over 15 miles in the woods, saw beautiful sites I have never seen before, and now am settled in a mountain shelter ready for a good nights sleep. And I want more?
I pray before this summer is over that I learn a lot more about being truly content. That is the path of the Phoenix.
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