It had been raining for about 24 hours straight, letting up to a sprinkle off and on.  It wasn’t raining very hard when I got ready to go for a jog, but by the time I was driving to my favorite trail, I laughed at my plan to exercise in the middle of a storm.

It probably looked strange; me running through the forest with an umbrella, but it sure hit the spot.  The paved path resembled a stream, now littered by fallen branches.  Puddles were rolling through walls of pine needles and the wet air absorbed into my skin and clothes in a matter of minutes.  By the time I scaled the last set of hills, my muscles were drained from pumping through the uphill slosh and jumping over new trenches and displaced logs.  I was soaked and completely spent.  How in the world did I feel SO satisfied – so alive…  so much myself?  I was at an unexpected moment of bliss in paradise.

As I rounded the last corner, to a hallway of trees that led back to my truck, I decided to slow down and enjoy not only my environment and linked sensations, but the thoughts that were accumulating.

How much of my time do I strain for a walk in the park, only to feel bored and dissatisfied when I get there?  I find myself mistaking comfort for the destination and pleasure for the road map of my entire existence.  What a shame!  I have the habit of spending far too much of my time, energy and motivation aimed at whatever the nice things are that will only strip my life of thrill and passion.

In the adventure, I come alive.  When the unknown becomes a snarling beast, I live to pick up a stick and battle in the moments of fear, hope, correct pain and gifts of victory.  I drop the desire for a house with more rooms, a car with less miles and shelves and hard drives filled with more media.  A life of adventure, standing soaked and tired in the rain, embraces today’s experiences with open hands and a grin.

Next time I’ll leave the umbrella in the truck.