On Frustration

So I won't say exactly where I live, because I'm eventually hoping this blog will find some readers and as flattering as it would be to have a total creepy stalker show up on my doorstop, I also think it would be terrifying. Anyway. What I will say, is that I live in a city. Not a huge city, not a tiny city, but a well-developed city that is (most unfortunately), lacking in lot of hiking trails that lead to beautiful, soaring vistas. The kind that are really popular with the Instagram crowd, y'know? We do have a few parks, one that goes through a pretty neat cypress swamp, but we're more of a beachy area than anything else. And while I do love the ocean and all the adventures it brings, I'm most at home in some old-growth forests, sweating up a trail and looking out over rolling hills and snowcapped mountain peaks. I'm originally from Seattle, and while I love my new home, I often daydream about being back and exploring everything the Cascades have to offer.

Okay, so getting to the point (all my old English teachers would be horrified that I just went through an entire paragraph and never once told the reader what I was going to tell them). I find myself frustrated on the weekends sometimes, because the weather is perfect for a hike or a camping trip, but by the time I get off work on Fridays I simply don't have the time to drive 3-5 hours to get somewhere to backpack, and while being outside rejuvenates me, I also end up exhausted on Monday morning from the lack of post-backpack recovery time.

So on long weekends like the one I hope you're all enjoying now, I'm ten times as frustrated. I just couldn't get away this weekend, but I'm watching every else on social media going off an exploring each nook and cranny of the outdoors. I know, I know. I went on a whole rant on the last post about comparing yourself to a picture you saw on Facebook, so insert something here about do as I say and not as I do.

I'm trying to use this as an opportunity however, to either create my own adventures, or really get at the heart of what I'm frustrated about. For example. I realized I was frustrated because I wasn't going to be as active this weekend as if I was in the outdoors. So, instead, I'm making a bigger effort to get out and walk, run, or bike my way through the weekend. Next, maybe I'm frustrated because I'm not getting outside like I want. Ok, maybe I won't get the calm of the forests, but maybe it's time to explore some of the local watersports I've been eyeing, like stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking some of the nearby river inlets.

The point is, there are going to be times you want to get out. You want to hike. You want to sleep under the stars. You want to get some you time. And you won't be able to. And that sucks. But instead of wasting your weekend being pissed off that things aren't working out, maybe your time is better used figuring out what you hoped to gain from your experiences, and coming up with an alternate plan.

Now if you need me, I'll just be over here laying in my hammock, pretending that the cars going by are the sounds of a gushing brook.