Sometimes Shit Happens: Lessons Learned on Hike 1

I pulled into the parking lot for my first of 12 hikes I plan to complete in 2022 — a goal I’ve set for myself, despite my hate for hiking — and before I could get out of the car, I knew I needed to find a bathroom…fast!

My hiking goal was starting with a bang.

Subscribe for more tips and inspiration.

Hiking is not my favorite thing to do but I decided to make it a goal of mine this year to go on a hike, once a month. I did this for a variety of reasons; to push myself outside my comfort zone, find peace with hiking, create content, move my body and because I find a lot of similarities between building a business and hiking.

Both aren’t always easy, both make me cry sometimes, both make me reflect, both allow me to grow, both are a sense of adventure, both make me feel lost at times, but both provide an excellent sense of accomplishment.

So, hence, my hiking goal.

Related: Hiking Is Not Who I Am 

Hike No. 1 Prep

I decided to take it easy on myself for the January hike. It’s cold, so just walking outside in the cold is accomplishment enough for January. I also decided to kick off this goal on my 40th birthday. I knew I needed to set a deadline for myself to actually go on this first hike, and what better day, then on the day I’m going to feel old. I also made sure to schedule time with my 5-year-old nephew for later in the day, forcing me to get the hike done at a specific time. I did not allow room for any excuses.

I chose a hiking trail located about eight minutes from my home, but one I had never been to before. The Hildacy Preserve offers a less than 2-mile loop trail (I love a loop trail) that my research told me wouldn’t be difficult. I have always researched trails on AllTrails.com, so I can go in prepared. But I’ve now downloaded the app to my phone, so I can see where I am on the trail. Part of my hiking anxiety comes from the possibility of getting lost (and by getting lost I mean walking longer than I want to in the wrong direction. It doesn’t mean never finding my way out). So as long as there is Internet service I will now feel more secure hiking with the AllTrails App. Highly recommend it!

Related: Lessons, Goals, Plans: Turning 40

Shit Happens, Even On Your Birthday

I planned my day. I planned my hike. I dressed for cold weather. I was prepared for hike one of 12.

My body on the other hand, had other plans.

Before I left the house, I thought hmmm is a problem brewing? I drove the eight minutes to the trail and was immediately able to answer that question, that yes indeed, a problem had arrived! And it needed to be urgently taken care of.

I did a quick scan of the onsite buildings at the trailhead and did not see any flashing neon signs that read “bathroom” so I knew I had to leave and find somewhere to go, quickly!

My mind immediately became a GPS device.

First thought, what type of retail location would allow me to use their bathroom….a Wawa (a fantastic convenience store if you’re not familiar). There were two Wawa’s located in opposite directions. Which one was closer?! Right or left?! RIGHT OR LEFT?! I yelled at the GPS device inside my head.

I chose left, which was the direction I had just driven from and I remembered there was construction happening between me and the Wawa, and that could cause further delay to my porcelain destination. So at the next intersection, I aborted mission on the Wawa and mentally googled other possible bathroom locations.

My mental GPS began to rapid fire options at me. There’s the grocery story just up the road, yes, let’s head in that direction. Oh wait! In that same shopping center there is a Panera Bread, that would be faster and better than the grocery store. New destination was locked in.

But my mental GPS wasn’t finished. We were in fight or flight mode. Was there time to make it to the Panera?! What was closer? There had to be something closer! OH there’s that smaller strip of shops before the Panera shopping center. What type of shops are in there?! Mental google….OH there’s that coffee shop! But didn’t that close recently?! Mental google…was it that coffee shop that closed or their other location?! Why don’t you know the answer to this?!

Mental GPS tells me it’s time to turn into where the coffee shop once stood. DO WE TAKE THE RISK?! If this coffee shop doesn’t exist anymore, you will have made a very big mistake, on your 40th birthday no less!

I take the risk and head for the coffee shop. The coffee shop that once stood there was indeed gone. HOWEVER, a new coffee shop had magically appeared in its place and I let out a squeal of thanks as I threw my car into park and ran inside (while trying to look casual) to use their bathroom.

I took care of business. Thanked my mental GPS for getting us there without incident, and made sure to buy a bottle of water before I left my new favorite coffee shop.

I still had to go for a hike.

Related: Just Jump: Advice to Live By

Hike No. 1

Finally back at the trailhead, I was ready. Ready to get this hike over with. I immediately chose the wrong trail but thankfully the AllTrails App told me it was going to be fine, because getting only slightly lost worked in my favor this time. I ended up on a shorter trail.

I was grumpy for the first quarter-ish mile. I was pissed about the whole bathroom shenanigans. I was annoyed the trail wasn’t marked at all and I took the wrong way. The trail was muddy. I wasn’t cold, so that was a plus. But I was grumpy, and didn’t want to hike. Why had I decided to make this whole hiking thing, a thing in the first place.

I took a breath and reset. The sun was bright and felt warm against my face. I turned my music up louder and started to lip sync to my tunes. I focused on my shadow in the tall, brown dried grass and soon calm and peace took over. The AllTrails App told me I was safe and going in the right direction, and I was here finally so I may as well enjoy myself instead of ruin my own time being grumpy for no real reason.

I arrived at the overlook (I’m not being grumpy when I say it was somewhat underwhelming but still nice to look at), found a bench and listened to a guided meditation.

I also filmed an Instagram Reel because I was alone in nature and no one would see me being silly in public. You know, except for the guy who walked by with his two dogs at the exact moment I was lip syncing to a Reel. I saw no one else the entire time I was there, just that guy and his dogs, at that exact moment.

But by then I was in a better headspace and it didn’t really bother me at all that the man and his dogs walked by. I cringed for a second but quickly shrugged it off. At least he hadn’t spotted me trying to go to the bathroom in the woods or something!

Related: One-On-One Coaching

Lessons Learned Hike No. 1

I finished up with my Reel creation and meditation and journeyed on to complete my mini, 1.5-mile hike. My mindset had completely shifted and my grumpiness had turned to gratitude — overwhelming gratitude. It was my 40th birthday, and I was living my best life. I was taking a walk in nature, listening to good music and had full faith that my business is about to take off.

I got this! I can do this hike! I can do this business! I can be 40!

I was overcome with a feeling of peace that everything in my coaching business, my finances and my personal life will come together. It will all work out. I got this! There will be abundance and it’s going to be so freaking awesome.

The trail had come to an end but now I didn’t want it to end. I found a little off-shoot to the trail and continued to walk by a stream for a few more yards before turning around. As I turned around to head back to my car, the sun peaked between the trees and hit my eyes so brightly that I had to close them, and out of nowhere, a few tears began to trickle from my eyes.

I was overcome with such joy and gratitude for what is to come that I started to cry tears of happiness. This was fitting because I have cried on about 90 percent of the hikes I’ve ever been on. Hikes make me weirdly emotional so the fact I was crying once again on a hike, then made me laugh, which is also hiking tradition for me. I cry on hikes and then laugh or vice versa depending on the hike mood of the day.

I knew going in to this hike that it was going to be pretty simple. I didn’t expect any drama so I definitely wasn’t expecting to cry on THIS hike. But here I was, after nearly shitting my pants, crying in the woods alone on my 40th birthday. A vision of beauty and sanity, clearly!

I began to laugh at myself (surely any squirrels witnessing these dramatics must have been concerned with my emotional state), when I realized all that had taken place on this hike and reflected on the lesson learned on my 40th birthday hike.

Hike No. 1 lesson: Sometimes shit happens, but girl you got this!

I can’t want to see what lessons are learned on the next hike, which will be a freezing cold one, but hopefully number two stays away from hike number two.

Related: How a Puzzle Led Me To Start a Coaching Business

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY CONTENT COACHING SERVICES?