I keep trying to like hiking and I keep hating it. I want to be a good "adventure" companion for Hub and hiking seems like something I could do, unlike snowboarding (risking a broken hip standing on a slippery hunk of wood sliding down the side of a mountain) or snorkeling (akin to waterboarding) or pitching a no-hitter (which he did and I nearly missed it because I was young and more interested in chatting with my friends in the stands). But nearly every time I hike I end up feeling incompetent, hot, sweaty, sore, tired, and angry. No fun. Also, as the laughing, smiling, "ain't it great to be on this trail?" hikers pass us by, I feel like a lame-ass loser. Also no fun.
One couple on their way down the trail to the waterfalls asked if we were having a good time. I said no, not really. Silence. Then they asked if the waterfalls were spectacular anyway. Hub said not particularly unless you have never seen a waterfall, which, being from Washington means we've seen a kajillion of them. The ones at the end of the trail were like 15 feet or something. Puhleeze! At any rate, our responses were not the requisite jolly good time exhortations our trail companions were seeking. I'm sure they thought we were champion curmudgeons. They were right in my case; not so much Hub's. He was just trying to be informative.
We are staying at the resort today -- beach and pool time. But I woke up thinking I should be taking more advantage of this vacation/vacant time. I should meditate more, do some beach yoga, take longer walks or go the gym. But mostly I'm re-reading the second book in the Outlander series. (Diana Gabaldon has laced these books with some sort of addictive subliminal messaging. I never re-read fiction books and I can't stop myself....plus the TV series is covering the same territory and that is equally addicting. Even Hub said the other night, as we caught up on Season 5 of Game of Thrones and endured yet another graphically violent massacre, "I like Outlander better." ) So, anyway, I'm not doing much of anything that I said I'd have more time to do once I was on vacation.
But maybe that's the point: Do nothing. Indulge in self-indulgence. I'm eating healthy, meditating with the sound of the waves splashing the shoreline, languidly stretching in front of the open patio doors as the breeze off the Bay cools my skin; I'm enjoying walking through the gardens and along the beach, camera at the ready. Maybe the idea is to let go of the self-improvement agenda, open my Kindle and just be. Since I am a champion reader, people-watcher, and gazer into the horizon, I should really be in my element today. I can out-sit Hub any day of the week. Lame-ass loser? Not me!
At least, that's the view from here....©
The only rules about vacations are there is no rules. It can and should be exactly what you want, when you want. And most importantly no guilt about what you're not doing. I'd hate hiking, too. I even have to force myself to go for walks.
ReplyDeleteI read Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' series and loved it too. I think readers get all the adventure we need reading about it. LOL
It disappoints me how few calories are expended when reading, how few muscles are worked. I'd be so incredibly fit and strong! LOL
DeleteLoved that last paragraph. I can relate,....especially with having congestive heart failure! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved that last paragraph. I can relate,....especially with having congestive heart failure! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you can relate, Bill. But wait a minute! Congestive heart failure???? We gotta talk.
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