Why go around a giant mountain when you can go straight up it & other lessons from Middle Earth

Last weekend we had the really neat experience of hiking Mt Mulanje 

It's rumored that this is where J.R.R. Tolkien found inspiration for Middle Earth (see this article for more info) and even though his grandson claims he rarely left the British Isles I like the rumor so I’m just going to go ahead and perpetuate it.

~~So yeah, it is where Tolkien was inspired~~

It's beautiful for a lot of reasons, but my favorite is the mist that covers everything and all the beautiful shades of green. 

During the rainy season it is super dangerous and even during the dry season the most experienced of hikers have to go with a guide (something about people getting lost/dying)

I don’t think it really counts as backpacking because each night we slept in the cool house/hut things built along the trails (complete with fireplaces so I guess you could say they were pretty luxurious) but we did carry backpacks on our backs so we were at least halfway there.

One of the cool/terrifying things about the whole experience is that for whatever reason (my ignorance doesn’t mean it wasn't a good one, of course) the people who built the trails decided they didn’t believe in switchbacks and why would we go around a giant mountain when we could just head right on to the top?!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about efficiency.

But this was a whole new level.

As we climbed/bouldered/scurried/scrambled/slipped up the side of the mountain I couldn’t help but watch our guide in wonder and think that his spirit animal just had to be a mountain goat.

go ahead and take a "peak" at us 

Guys, I’ve got some pretty strong legs (shout out to my mama for these babies) but there were many a time where I thought for sure that they would just give out.

But, alas, they didn’t (which is almost a bummer because falling down the side of a mountain in Africa would make a great story) and I was continually impressed with our whole group as we just headed right on up

~thoughts caused by thin mountain air & a lot of time~

We spent about 2 ½ days walking walking walking so I had some time to think (always dangerous). 

As we went along I couldn't help but notice how often I stared at the shoes of the person in front of me.
So I came up with this (not-yet-comprehensive) list

The perks/dangers of looking down while you hike:

Perks:

1. don’t trip/fall off the mountain/die

2.see where the person in front of you is going (see danger #2) and follow their interpretation of what the easiest path may be

3. avoid looking up and seeing how much farther you have to go (see danger #3)

which leads to:

a.     be pleasantly surprised when you actually reach the top

Dangers:

1. miss out on something really beautiful that you could only see if you were looking up

2. see where the person in front of you is going but then maybe miss out on an easier/better/more exciting way

3. when you do actually look up and become very aware of how much farther you have to go and then must battle the sneaking thoughts that you will just never make it

  

Maybe it was the mountain air (the very same that {probably} inspired Mr. Tolkien, might I add) but isn't this how it always is?

We have all these people who go before us in life: parents, siblings, friends, etc etc. and a lot of times we choose to follow in their footsteps, or at least keep an eye out where they are placing their feet.

This is great because there are probably many times where it keep us from tripping up too badly.

But maybe sometimes we also miss out or follow the path we’ve watched them walk without any thought.

Now I’m not advocating trailblazing in every aspect/situation because there were many many times I was thankful for our guide 

(I don’t doubt we would’ve gotten very lost without him)

And the same goes for my own life. I have been overwhelmingly blessed with hard-working parents and other great examples that have done everything to help me avoid the harder paths of life.

And I am so thankful for that.

It was just a really beautiful reminder to look up every once in a while even if it meant the risk of stumbling a little.

You’ll probably see something beautiful.

~one more thought about hiking~

Here’s the thing about hiking, I am not even sure what I love about it*

I mean, yeah the being outside in great Mother Nature does something nice for my soul, and ideally all those hours walking are spent to get a good view, but sometimes in the midst of lifting one foot in front of the other and slipping on your butt through moss and mud you’ve gotta question why you’re doing this to yourself.

please note slippery moss

I was thinking about this a lot (through gasps of air at the hardest parts)

And I think a big part of me just likes doing hard things.

But mostly only hard things that I decide to do.

Which explains a whole lot if you’re someone I love and have had to listen to me complain about taking pretty much any science or math class throughout my whole life.

But here’s the other thing. 

Whenever I finish something hard I am always convinced that I could go ahead and do it again, no matter how hard it is.

I think most humans do this, but why?

Denial of our own weakness?

Endorphin high that convinces us it really wasn’t that bad after all?

I don’t know, maybe.

But whatever it is, I’ve decided that from now on I’m going to pretend like any really hard thing I have to do is just like a hard thing that I actually chose to do.

I’ll let you know if I’m able to trick myself into this.

I want to apologize for the cliché and way overdone comparison of mountains and struggles and life lessons and blah blah blah

But let’s be honest, how many times have these been made?
way too many I can tell you that much

But people insist on making them because it is a good one

So sorry, but only a little

There have been plenty of challenges this summer. But the biggest ones haven’t necessarily been because I am Africa.

My biggest lessons have been because I’ve been forced to look at some of the serious weaknesses that I have. I’ve been pushed and pulled and tested.

Maybe I learned them at this specific time because I am in Malawi but I am convinced I would have had the opportunity to learn them no matter where I was, eventually.

Maybe that post will be next.

I am not quite ready to go home but I find comfort and peace in knowing that I was exactly where I needed to be this summer

And then, of course, there is the excitement of seeing my ultimate favorite humans and loved ones

That’s a pretty good trade

I know all of these ideas are notably less revolutionary than the creation of a new language/world/epic trilogy that inspired others who {probably} walked these same paths before me.

 but don’t worry, that’ll be next.

the best hiking buddy in all the land 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

*this statement is hilarious to anyone who has known me longer than 5 years or so because I am a pretty recent convert to nature-loving and would've never admitted to loving "walking through the dirt"