My side of the story, one of sisterhood and stepping out of my comfort zone, and from the very beginning, how the two went hand in hand.
Last week my sister, Becky, published a blog post about a backpacking experience we shared this past July along with two dear friends of mine. She wrote that saying the words “I want to do that” changed everything for her. This trip was also one of my most memorable life experiences to date, so as they say “here is my side of the story.”
Getting Out of My Comfort Zone
I used to always say “I’m a car camper.” Car camping was safe, and I wouldn’t have to be outside of my comfort zone. Because you know being out of your comfort zone is the worst, right?! Plus I always considered myself to be kind of a chicken. I mean there are bears and mountain lions out there. I was much safer with a car nearby where we could just jump in just in case something dangerous approached. However, a couple of years ago, I began to have a desire in my heart to go backpacking. My husband and sons went on a few trips, and we had friends borrow our gear for their own backpacking trips. I was having FOMO.
This past summer when my good friends started talking about a backpacking trip, I began to wonder about tagging along. But in all honesty, I thought it probably wouldn’t pan out, and I would likely be needed at home by my family. I was already making excuses in my head. Fortunately for me, though, I had put the bug in my girlfriends’ ears that I was “interested” in going, and they were not about to let me take those words back. (that’s what friends are for, right?) Before I knew it we had dates on the calendar and our sights set on a segment of the Colorado Trail. I called my sister to tell her about it, and she almost immediately wondered about coming along herself. She said, “I want to do that.” Again, before we knew it, her plane ticket was bought and the trip was set in stone.
Becky mentioned in her blog post that she learned more about herself during our trip than in any other experience of her life. What I learned is that hiking is a great metaphor for life.
Hiking is A Lot Like Life
Just like life, hiking isn’t a race to the top, it’s about the journey. Before we left, people asked me how heavy my pack would be and if I was worried about carrying it. Truth be told I was a little bit worried. I had never hiked with a 40 pound pack on my back. My friend, Joanna (who my sister, Becky, says is like being with Mother Earth) assured me that we weren’t in a race. She said the hike IS the trip. And she was so right. Rather than racing to our campsite each day, we hiked and rested, often stopping to look at the stunning scenery. Sometimes our pace was slow, other times not. We walked and talked and also walked without saying a word. In life we often want to jump to the next phase. We are always wondering what’s next. The result is that we tend to miss what is right in front of us. On our backpacking trip, I was present in the moment, carrying that heavy pack up the trail and putting one foot in front of the other. It was a practice in mindfulness, of being constantly aware of the beauty that was surrounding me.
This created a peacefulness about the journey that I had never quite experienced before. In fact for a long time after the trip, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I had this yearning to be back on the trail. I attribute that yearning to the beauty of being so present, so mindful of each moment. I think our souls long to live that way.
Just like life, it was a gift to experience this backpacking trip in sisterhood. It’s hard to put into words how meaningful it was to share this trip with these women. Yes, we hiked together, but we also set up camp together, cooked together, shared meals, worked to put our food up in the tree at night (you can imagine the laughter doing this). We had morning coffee together. We played cards and read from Glennon Doyle’s “Untamed” and we practiced yoga together.
Sisterhood
We talk a lot about sisterhood around here. This is sisterhood. It’s inviting your sisters to come along and knowing without hesitation that you will not only be welcomed but embraced. It’s helping your fellow sisters step out of their comfort zone. It’s saying to one another, “you can do this and I’ll be with you.” It’s making everyone feel at home and part of the group. It’s waiting for each other. It’s listening. It’s being present with one another. It’s experiencing Mother Earth in all her beauty together.
Sisters, this journey called life is meant to be shared. We not only need each other, but our lives become more enriched when we’re together, when we’re in community, when we are experiencing sisterhood. This backpacking trip wasn’t so impactful because we were hiking and sleeping in the woods. It was impactful because I got to share this experience, this journey in a sisterhood. And just like in the woods, in life a sisterhood makes all the difference.
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