“You don’t have to have all of the answers but if you don’t to have at least a general idea you’re not ever going to head in the right direction.”

Today was one of those perfect fall days. The temperature was amazing, people were out and about experiencing the world. 

I got up early, feeling super motivated, I got my run in, cleaned my apartment, chatted with my sisters and then I jumped in my car and headed north for hike in Cold Spring. There is something about autumn hikes. The fresh air, crisp sound of leaves beneath your feet and the colors in the trees. 

I’ve been pushing myself lately to meet new people. I found that in New York there isn’t a lot of conversation between strangers. And because I’ve been feeling good and more settled, I’ve been making an effort to have conversations and to meet people. On the train, the elevator, or even on a street corner, I have been putting myself out there and learning about the people of New York. During a conversation with a gentlemen on the train, I began telling him of my plan to go hiking this weekend. He recommended that I go to Cold Spring, New York to go hiking.  There were a couple ideas of where I wanted to go, but at his recommendation and with my knowledge that locals tend have all of the good stuff to offer, I took his suggestion to heart and that is where I decided to go.

The drive up to Cold Spring was lovely. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and the route took me through some nice quaint little New York towns. 

Using my All Trails App to find a trail head to go hiking on. I selected the Cornish the state trail loop was a nice distance and seem to have some really diverse terrain. The hike is located right next to the Hudson river and I was able to find easy parking.

As I started hiking, I tried to remember all of the things that I needed to do to be safe before I left and went on a hike by myself, as well as focusing on enjoying being in nature. I packed a bag with water, signal mirror, matches, a snack and my camera. There was a nice bit of traffic on the travels, with many other hikers out enjoying the perfect day.

The hike itself was amazing I focus on the trees and the sound of the leaves in my shoes and listening to the trickle of water as it ran down the hillside. As I would pass other hikers I would offer a salutation and continue onward. Looking up into the the sky and seeing the sun shining through the leaves, I felt content. I was happy that I came here. I was happy that I pushed myself to go and experience this hike, alone, because life is an amazing thing and it’s worth pushing my limits of comfort, to ensure I experience every moment to the fullest.

One thing that I always forget about hiking is that when you’re heading uphill, everything seems further than you really have went. I definitely ended up second-guessing my distances and pretty frequently pulling out my map to verify I was on the correct path. It reminded me a lot of life actually, that it’s important to have a guide to make sure that you know that you’re going and at least the general direction of where you want to be. You don’t have to have all of the answers but if you don’t to have at least a general idea you’re not ever going to head in the right direction. I second-guess myself a lot on those trails, I don’t believe that I know where I’m going or I don’t believe that I am still on the right path. Even if I am. As I rounded the last loop and large elevation gain, I got to the summit of the trail. I looked around to enjoy a landscape that was almost a void of color. But yet still so serene and gorgeous and powerful.

After I finished the hike, I ended the day with a delicious omelette. The hour and a half drive back to Queens allowed me to reflect on the experience. It had been an amazing day. A day worth having, enjoying my own company, enjoying the company of those that I met along the way.

And to those of you out there that I haven’t met yet, I can’t wait! I can’t wait to meet you and hear your story and learn about everything that you know and have to share.

-a wanderer

“Speak and open up your mind
It’s something you should do all the time
Keep exploring, seek and find
You know you might surprise yourself
Talk without a taint or hold
The doubts that should embrace your heart
The calm and chaos of your soul
You know you might surprise yourself”

Jack Garratt – Surprise Yourself