Life in your 40s seems full of new experiences – which, somehow, is not at all how I expected my “middle years” (groan!) to go . I have just returned from my very first wild camping trip. So many new experiences here:
- hike further in 2 days than ever before (and get blamed for walking too fast for the rest of the group!)
- carrying a 55 liter pack containing everything I would need
- set up a tent and wild camp overnight
- eat a dehydrated meal for dinner (and be surprised at how good it was!)
- be trained in navigation by (and practice mindfulness with) a former Royal Navy
- digging a latrine hole (and having to watch a 15 minute video training before the trip about wild droppings!)
- practice urdhva dhanurasana on the second morning as a counter pose to carrying a heavy bag all day (my hip flexors have never been so grateful!) 🙂
I’m sure there were a whole bunch of other little things that seemed new to me at the time, but that’s what makes the headlines.
I admit that I lost sleep the night before worrying about this mini-adventure that seemed like a big expedition. I couldn’t imagine how heavy my pack was going to be – since I had borrowed the backpack and tent, I couldn’t do a weigh-in beforehand and assess how difficult it might be to carry it for two hiking days. In the end it was pretty good and I didn’t need my emergency plan of asking my husband to pick me up and take me home!!!
As people often tell me – and I’m starting to believe it for myself – I’m stronger now than I think.
So there is another new thing: more confidence in my physical abilities 🙂
