After the road ends

A new adventure begins

Many years ago, I found myself on a paved recreation path staring at a dirt trail as it disappeared into the woods. Despite running and biking this route dozens of times, I had never noticed a trail entrance before. Had it always been there? 

Cautiously, and with some trepidation, I entered the forest. At this point in my life I was not what you would consider outdoorsy. My plan was to explore for 5-10 minutes and turn around so I didn’t get lost. Five minutes quickly became 10, and 10 became 15, and pretty soon, I wasn’t worried about time anymore.

It felt cooler in there, the lush greenery providing protection from the harsh summer sun. The headwind that held me back on the paved path was more like a breeze, soothing and comforting as it rustled through trees and cooled my skin. Even the air tasted better. 

Also unlike the paved recreation path, the trail wasn’t flat, and it certainly wasn’t straight. It meandered and rolled, taking me on an adventure past vernal pools and over wooden foot bridges, through bogs and birding lookouts. It was like entering a whole new universe. 

In my naivete, I assumed the trail would eventually take me back to where I started; its circular logic revealing itself eventually. Instead, it carried me two towns over and left me wondering how I ended up there. 

There would be many more explorations, and a lot more getting lost, before I developed the confidence to ditch roads entirely and commit to trail running full time. But that was the day the seed was planted in my mind. 

In time, that seed bloomed into a whole new way of experiencing life. That’s not a process you want to rush, but it would have been helpful to have known a few things before I started this journey.