I love how suddenly finding myself single again after so many years has opened up a lot of new adventures for me. The past 8 to 9 months has opened up my world to so many new experiences, and new people, and for this I am extremely grateful. I’ve come to believe that certain things do happen for a reason, and these are all–well, mostly–right reasons.
Sometimes difficult things happen to awaken parts of ourselves that we’ve kept dormant for so long. Lately I’ve been listening more and more to the kid inside of me, and I often find myself in awe of the smallest of things that I encounter everyday, and it all feels really good.
Two days ago I went on a trek with my sister and two of her friends. It was a supposedly 30-minute trek-turned-2-hours (4 to 5 hours of trekking all-in-all), and although we did not come prepared, we had the best time exploring Pinatubo. There is nothing quite like covering miles up a mountain, on foot, and in good company.
The closest thing I’ve ever gotten to doing something as extreme and outdoorsy as this was when Niev and I ended up joining our friend and a couple of expats go mountain biking (80% on a dirt road, mind you) in Pulau Ubin last May 2011. THAT was crazy intense, especially for someone who’s never tried mountain biking ON A MOUNTAIN such as our two girly selves.
The first part of the Pinatubo trek was the hardest part, probably because I kept wondering how much longer it would take for us to reach the crater. Once I got over my impatience however, it all became so much easier–such as in life.
I loved how keen all my senses seemed while trekking Pinatubo. With only my walking stick in hand and my itchy feet to guide me, I felt unstoppable!
Sometimes I would be so engrossed with the walk that it felt like I was on a silent moving meditation. One minute I’d be looking down at the rocky path and gauging my next step, and the next I’d be transported to a whole new view of the stark Pinatubo landscape. I loved every minute of it.
Trekking really does take you to a whole new level of high, and perhaps even another level of consciousness. Now I understand how people can get hooked trekking and climbing mountains. There’s nothing quite like looking at that never-ending trail, that exhilarating feeling of freedom and the idea of having limitless possibilities.
Mina
