Abigail Hayven
  • Home
  • The Girl
  • The Blog
    • Button Swap
  • Hire Me to Beta Read
  • Let's Talk

Adventuring Outside of My Comfort Zone

10/26/2016

6 Comments

 
Picture

This past weekend, I did something new.

First of all, (for those of you who don't know) I am not very… outdoors-y.  I enjoy the outdoors, but I have to be doing something worth doing, I guess you could say.  Like swimming or taking a walk, roasting marshmallows around a fire, or hiking.

​But up until this weekend, I had never actually gone hiking.  A friend from church invited my little brother and I to join him on Saturday for a hike and I said no. 

Some folks at our church plan these hikes every once in a while, and we have been invited before, but I had never had the courage to say yes.  I have always wanted to go, but in all honesty, I was afraid I'd make a fool of myself.  But this time, my dad encouraged me to join the group and give it a shot.  

When I thought of hiking, I imagined this big steep mountain where I would climb over boulders 'til I reached the top, but I was assured that this one would be super simple and a great trail for a beginner.  So I agreed.  After all it was only a 4.5-mile hike... right?

Did I make a fool of myself?  I'll let you be the judge of that ;)
Truly, it was the photography that drew me in.  I was dying to get to the top of a mountain to capture some amazing photos of nature's prime: autumn.  So, at 4:45 AM, I woke up, added the finishing touches to my over-packed backpack, and by 5:30 AM, my brother and I were loaded into a friend's car and on our way to do something I knew nothing about.

My friends encouraged me a lot; especially those who'd done this many times before.  So while I was nervous about the unknown, I knew I wouldn't be alone.  Plus, I had my little brother who is now bigger than me and he's pretty protective ;)

According to the frequent hikers, our group was one of the largest they'd ever had--and it was a great group!  We had a lot of fun as we worked together to make it to the top, creating what are now inside jokes and delightful memories.
The hike was pretty easy… except that I have short legs and apparently am not strong enough to conquer the several-hundred stairs as well as most people can.  So yes, I was at the back most of the time, but I always had someone who slowed down to keep me company ;)  Oh, and remember that over-packed bag I was talking about?  Yeah, I won't be bringing that much stuff next time around.  I was too tired to eat all the food I packed, and realized that I didn't need to bring my entire camera bag inside of my backpack, plus my Instax Mini 8 and extra film--just one camera and a lens will do next time.  Lugging that thing up those stairs wasn't fun, but the pride in me said I had to finish what I had started and carry my weight the whole way, therefore, I refused all of the boys' offers to take my bag for me (even when three of them cornered me to a tree and listed the reasons I should give up my load and not be ashamed. Haha!).
Picture
The views truly were remarkable.  Standing there with the wind biting my nose, I felt a rush of energy at being so high up and doing something so new with people I admire so much.  

​I really enjoyed the photography, and the fellowship was great. I'll have you know that the 4.5 miles I signed up for, ended up being almost 11, though!  

​Included in the scenery was a waterfall, and just before we started on the trail to go see it, we took a break and the guys stole my backpack and carried it the rest of the way. It was a lesson of humility for me, but it did help and I really appreciated it ;)

I did slip down a stair, too.

Anyways...
Despite the fact I didn't haul my bag the whole way, despite the fall down the stairs, the cold, the pounding of my heart, the ache in my legs, I enjoyed hiking, and I would go again :)  I did something new and I'm glad that I did; I got to know friends better, went on little adventures, and ate good food afterwards!

Stepping outside your comfort zone isn't always a bad thing.  Sometimes, it can lead to something really good.  My trip was something I'll definitely remember :)

XOXO,
​Abbey

Picture
P.S.  In case you were wondering, I did finish what I started… to help mend my pride a little, the boys gave me my backpack back at the bottom of the last hill, which made me feel much better :)
6 Comments
Madison link
10/27/2016 06:27:24 am

Love this Abbey! Sounds like you had a great time! And you took such beautiful pictures! <3

Reply
Abbey link
10/27/2016 08:32:49 am

Thank you, Madison!! I did have tons of fun!

Reply
Jonathan Trout link
10/31/2016 02:37:04 pm

HAHA this was great, GO YOU FOR TRYING NEW THINGS. :D But btw if I was one of the boys I would have done that same thing XD

Reply
Abbey link
10/31/2016 07:05:45 pm

Thank you!!

And part of me thinks they were just tired of hanging at the back with me and wanted to speed me up, lol! (Totally kidding, they're friends of my brother and great guys!) I'm just really hard-headed XD

Reply
Bethany
12/7/2016 05:05:03 pm

Just read this and had to say I loved hiking with you :) Wasn't it a blast!?! Let's do it again!

Reply
Abbey link
12/8/2016 10:18:11 am

I loved hiking with YOU! I'm all for another go! (...Depending on the number of stairs...) ;P

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    BOOKS
    FAITH
    MY LIFE
    WRITING

      Get the Newsletter

    Join the Party!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • The Girl
  • The Blog
    • Button Swap
  • Hire Me to Beta Read
  • Let's Talk