Hiking Alone

Have I mentioned how beautiful the state of Oregon is yet? It’s a beauty incomparable. The drive alone was enough to clear my muddy thoughts, windows down, 8am, heat blasting and happy music blaring.. I was in my element. Driving by pastures of cows and sheep, winding ways bordered with trees newly colored with orange, reds and yellow autumn tints, acres upon acres without a soul in sight. Losing reception at just the right time. I was purely alone. No one else. Just me and my little car.

If I had to paint a picture of what was going on in my little two door car this morning, it would look like this; head bobbing, hand out the window, soaking in the October sunshine, smile plastered on my face without a care in the world. https://soundcloud.com/wonderwondermusic/body-gold A pro about hiking alone… You can listen to the same song a million times in a row, singing as loud as you can and there is no one around to judge!

I had been anxiously wanting to go on a hike these last few weeks. My sister and I usually team together and find secret places not many have seen or touched.

Well… In life, you learn that sometimes schedules coincide and you either take the plunge alone or miss out all together. Therefore, I went alone.

Hello Butte Falls!

I have always been quite independent, I like to do my shopping alone, run alone, read, write, clean alone. But I do draw the line at public outings alone. I’ve always had the idea in my head that going to a movie or a restaurant alone is a social taboo. What, do you want to look like a loser freak all by yourself without a date? I think not! Until recently. I know plenty of people who go out to eat and sit down at a restaurant alone, hell, as a waitress I see heaps of people doing it. And movies, I have never taken the leap to see one alone yet, but it’s on my to do list. Today, I ticked one off that I’m quite proud of, hiking alone.

As a girl, I know that it’s not the safest decision to wander into a forest unaccompanied, but if you’re smart about it, pack enough food, water and leave at a reasonable hour and look into safer locations, let someone know where you are, I think it’s perfectly fine.

The only cons I could come up with when hiking by yourself were:

• Spider webs, you walk through them all
• No one to talk to
• No one to appreciate the beauty with
• A tad scary

When you’re surrounded by nature with no cell service by yourself, all these freaky situations crossed my mind, a bear eating me, being bit by a poisonous animal, falling off a cliff, and no one would be there to help you, or even know that was even happening!!

Thankfully none of those silly things happened, I survived and feel wonderfully refreshed this Tuesday morning. I quite recommend trying this out! Hike alone and appreciate the beauty around you, without the distraction of your phone or others, I promise it’s worth it. xx