“Remoted” – Day 173 (Saturday)

Communing with nature.

The perfect weather with warm, but not too warm temperatures, sunshine and a breeze made for the perfect day for a hike in the woods. After an open-air deck lunch of grilled Beyond Burgers (super delicious!) with friends, we three took to the woods. My friends live near the Midstate Trail and a state forest, so even when the nearby mountain seems too crowded, there are still options.

Today, we opted for the practically in the backyard woods and it was good. So, so good. We walked down the driveway, down the road a bit and then we turned into the woods. It's been too long since I spent quality time outdoors. Time in my yard is technically outdoors, but it isn’t the same as the big outdoors of today with lots of trees, ferns, a little stream, mushrooms, and wooded trails. I know it’s good for me to spend time in the woods, and yet, I haven’t since last fall. I also know it's good for me to spend time at the beach, and yet, I haven't been since the summer of 2018. I have some things to fix.

One thing that has kept me away from the woods is the fact there are no familiar woods near me. Yes, I know they become familiar by the act of spending time in them, but I’m not super keen on wandering around alone in strange woods. The two times I’ve been to the state forest near my house, I couldn't get a phone signal, which was not comforting. The last thing I want is to become a lost hiker story.

We spent more than 90 minutes walking. None of us was on our phones or checking the time, so we didn’t know how long we were out until we got back. We figured it out like true detectives. One of us got a text as we were leaving the house, which became the time marker, and once were back sitting on the deck we knew the current time and did the math. It was surprising we’d been out that long, but there were no obligations looming and no need to be mindful of the time, so we weren't. We walked and talked, and it felt like the many pre-pandemic hikes we’ve shared in the woods. It was the perfect afternoon getaway, with a couple great friends, and just an hour from home.  I was home in time to feed the dogs their dinner.