How Walking Out Saved My Life | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

How Walking Out Saved My Life

6500 Vertical Feet To Be Exact.

22
How Walking Out Saved My Life
Internet Brothers

The wind whips around the mountain, threatening to take me with it. I dig my shoes into the rocks, toes scrunching with the impact, my hair is flying and my hat is flapping. At 6508 feet in the air, there's not much else I can do.The rest of the group is nowhere to be seen.

I spot a stretch of sun around the bend, and trudge towards it.

At the end of the road, I'm greeted by my father's friend Victor. Not only has he outpaced me, but he has also outpaced our entire group. We laugh about his progress, and with time, our jokes turn to stories.

I marvel at the vastness of the mountains and Victor reminisces about his childhood in Taiwan, when "earning the right to be a boy scout meant lugging full size tents across the island." It seems that he is one of the few people I've encountered who truly cherish a time before readily available cars and internet. He talks about this struggle the way that only someone who is grown can- fondly. For that, I envy him. Truthfully, disconnecting is a luxury. As a business student (and furthermore, as a millennial), it's hard to imagine a moment absent of electronics.

And, if I did disconnect, would anyone notice? My inbox says yes, but my ego responds with a resounding "no." In the past month, I'd witnessed more overexertion and indecision than ever before. Between work, school, and social obligations, connectivity felt like an obligation rather than a luxury. But today, my phone is on airplane mode, and I've sufficiently survived my third day without internet.

Maybe the key is avoidance. I wonder whether it's better to forget or to accept, finally settling on this- forgetting is not synonymous with resolving.

I'm happier than I've been in days. Unfortunately, the wind dilutes my laugh and it comes out sounding like something between a cry and a shout. He asks me about this, and I simply respond, "Let's keep going."

At one point I might have considered avoidance the key to maintaining my sanity. It seemed better to avoid rather than to accept. But the truth is, forgetting is not synonymous with resolving. Old hurts arise when new ones subside.

However, at 6508 feet in the air, there's no room for distraction. In this sense, hiking is running towards the problem rather than away from it. It forces an emphasis on the essential, and a subsequent ability to comprehend. I hiked 6508 feet alone to escape reality, but came out with a companion and an answer.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
an image of taylor swift standing center stage surrounded by her backup dancers in elegant peacock esque outfits with a backdrop of clouds and a box rising above the stage the image captures the vibrant aesthetics and energy of her performance during the lover era of her eras tour
StableDiffusion

A three-and-a-half-hour runtime. Nine Eras. Eleven outfit changes. Three surprise songs. Zero breaks. One unforgettable evening. In the past century, no other performer has put on an electric performance quite like Taylor Swift, surpassing her fans ‘wildest dreams’. It is the reason supporters keep coming back to her shows each year. Days later, I’m still in awe of the spectacle ‘Miss Americana’ puts on every few days in a new city. And, like one of Taylor’s exes, has me smiling as I reminisce about the memories of the night we spent together.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

76351
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

6779
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments