Earlier in the year of 2017 I made a large and difficult decision, which at the time, I could have never guessed that this decision would impact my life so much.
I live in Canada more precisely Canada Alberta, and like many people who live here no one has actually traveled across the country seeing everything for themselves. honestly I think it goes without saying that there are a lot of people in this world that do exactly that, see the world through computer screens other than through their own eyes.
I ended up making the decision to go backpacking across Canada with a goal in mind to go Coast to Coast. though because of a little thing called life, didn't really get that far, but it was still an experience I'll never forget.
Another goal that I had in mind was to solely walk the distance, no taking rides in cars, no asking for help and only do it on my own strength and determination. along the way I took pictures, I'm in no means a professional photographer but I can't help but get small sense of satisfaction knowing that I took these pictures, that I was there to actually see the object I took a picture of.
Without a doubt I can say that the experience was one of a kind, you don't know what true freedom feels like Intel you're in the middle of nowhere, with only yourself ,your strength and your wit to get you by.
Another goal I had was to avoid large areas that are heavily populated and focus more on areas that are off the beaten path. it's not like I don't like people but in the back of my mind if I was going to get some good pictures, I take pictures of nature itself. I live in a small town so seeing buildings everyday and cars is nothing new, so going Off the beaten path in the middle of nowhere seem just like a logical choice.
Ever since I was a kid I found being in nature to be super relaxing, I don't know what it is but when I'm in the middle of nowhere, with no people around, only relying on My Own Strength And hoping deep down I find something amazing like a treasure or a secret lair,I feel at peace with everything. no I'm not a hippie but I do find myself being more favorable to the natural environment then the cities of concrete and steel we've made.
Before I even started out on this Epic Quest / Adventure I thought I was just the odd one out, I've never ran into anyone else Who thought the same way I did. but the longer I was on the road and the farther I got I started running into people who are doing the exact same thing I was. whether or not how I was raised was a factor or not, when I first ran into a group of people doing what I was doing I will admit, I was a little afraid. because before I started this little adventure of mine deep down in the back of my mind I was supposed to be afraid of strangers. Yes I know it sounds weird That an adult is saying this but it's something we all feel but will never tell anyone straight out.
The more I talk to people I didn't know and would have classified as strangers to me, the more I begin to realize something about myself. for some reason over the years of growing up I beginning to start to fear people that I didn't know, even if there was no reason to fear those people. I began to realize I was judging people As if they were monsters, that I had to stay on my guard or they would get me.
I know it sounds weird to anyone who lives in a city that is constantly surrounded by people you never know or we'll never know. but your attitude towards people changes drastically when you're in the middle of nowhere, with only your strength determination and wit to keep you going. I don't know when this State of Mind I had started But in all honesty I think it has to do with something about hearing so many stories bad things people have done versus the good things people have done. if you ever watch the news on TV you might understand where I'm coming from. I am in no way shape or form blaming media for my mindset I once had, I just think that society as a whole is hurting itself, knowing that this is how some people are thinking and doing very little to even attempt to change it. but that's just me.
The more people I began to talk to the more doors that opened up to me ,the more interesting and amazing people I begin to meet. if you ever lived in a small town with a population of under 5000 You'll know what I mean when I say a lot of people in towns like that, think that the best way to entertain oneself is to drink party and smoke weed. here in Canada that's pretty much a cookie cut out small town. I'm not won against smoking a good joint now and then but, if the only stories in life you have are stories about the times of how drunk you got or how high you got, you're not the kind of person I really want to be with or hang out with. I'm not saying that I got stupidly high standards people have to meet to be a friend of mine. I just think that's just wasting away And sooner or later that would end up becoming your identity something you can identify with. That just doesn't seem like something I could ever wrap my head around but each to their own.
So being someone who lived in a small town, to my surprise, I begin to ran into people who had such amazing and interesting stories to tell. stories of how they climbed mountains, Went snowboarding on large mountains, sailed boats in storms and and how they ran for their lives after seeing a grizzly bear with her two Cubs. stories like this you don't come by everyday that are told by the people who actually lived it. and the more stories I had and the more stories I heard I begin to realize, I was a sucker for stories by people who traveled explored and discovered new things
As Time moved on an the further I myself explored I began to see the world in a different light. when your backpacking you're left with a lot of time with just your own personal thoughts, eventually on my little Adventure I begin thinking. No matter how crazy the world gets, no matter how many stories you hear about bad people doing horrific things, It's easy to forget that the good people of our world will always outnumber the bad. if you're surrounded by bad people and it might have to do with how you are interacting with people, I might not just be me but that people seem to be drawn to certain individuals but have a particular mindset or how they hold themselves up. if you want to change the type of people that are drawn to you, you yourself have to change drastically. I'm not saying I have an answer and how one would do this, so it can be safe to say That the old saying “ treat people the way you want to be treated” Might be really vague but it does hold some Merritt.
It's funny how that the moment that I Came Upon This realization, at the time, I thought I stumbled upon some sort of world-changing discovery. in reality it's just common sense but for some reason I myself never saw it this way, and it took this little adventure for me to see it for myself then have someone tell me it. Truth is if someone just told me about it it would have lacked meaning, though because I thought of it myself and discovered it myself it seems to hold more meaning. I don't know why that is but I can't tell you the feeling I had when this train of thought came to me. something that simple gave me great satisfaction more so for the reason that I stumbled upon it myself. I'm not saying I'm the only person in this world whose came to the this type of conclusion I'm saying that for some reason something so simple so basic would have never came across my mind until I went on this little backpack Adventure.
In the end after my little Adventure I went back to my normal life, though I might have not changed physically I'm happy to say that I did change mentally. I can't say for certain if the events I experienced on my journey are the reason I changed. I however can say for certain That nature holds a special place in everyone's heart and if you let it, It will have an a magical effect on you and whether or not that affect lasts is solely up to you.
you know what, I might actually be a hippie in training LOL.
