I've always been good at being alone. I'm an introvert by trait and love my alone time - sipping my coffee in the quiet of the morning, a night in bingeing my favorite show, and walking the beach with Fin. I'm really good at being alone, but there are some things that are harder to do alone than others. I have all of these things I want to do and try, but find myself coming up with excuses to do them because I know I might have to do them by myself.
Things like go on a cross country road trip, visit National Parks, learn how to surf, travel to Alaska, and hike all the NH 4,000 footers. Most of my friends have moved away, are in relationships, or just don't have the same bucket list goals as me. I could easily sit back and wait for the right opportunity to do the things I want to do - or I could get off my single, lazy butt and start living.
One of the things I have always wanted to do was go for a sunrise hike - but something about stepping on to a mountain trail by myself terrifies me. I'm not sure if it's all the different scenarios I make up in my head of what could go wrong. Being a single woman walking by herself in a secluded area isn't the safest picture to paint. "What if I fall and hurt myself?" "What if I encounter a bear?" "What if I get Kidnapped?" "What if I get lost?" No matter how prepared I am for the elements, there are many things that could go wrong. I'm often reminded that I'm fortunate enough to have Fin by my side. She gives me that boost of motivation and makes it easier for me to get out and do things on my own. She's my protective companionship and makes adventuring a lot less terrifying.
So, I packed up my backpack the night before. I made sure I laid out extra layers, my thickest socks and a flashlight. I set my alarm for 5am and fell asleep with excitment and a bit of nerves. I had never done a solo sunrise hike before. I had never woken up on a 10° morning to drive 40 minutes and trek through the woods in the pitch black. I had never trusted my impulses so easily. Doing a sunrise hike was always one of those things I wanted to do. I wanted to summit with 360° colors surrounding me. I wanted my legs to be tired, my lungs to be full, and my heart to be happy. When I made it to the top that morning, it exceeded my expectations. It felt so good to finally do something for myself. Something I had written on bucket lists over and over again. It was such a simple goal but took me so long to do.
When I got back down to my car, I sat there for a few minutes. It was only 7:30am and I had the whole day ahead of me. I had already accomplished so much and was proud of myself for braving it alone. I drove to get coffee and mini waffles from my favorite spot and sat in the parking lot and shared with Finley. In that moment I was so content with that feeling. I realized how important it is to step out of my comfort zone and do things that scare me. I can't miss out on life because I'm waiting for someone to come along with me. This is my happie adventure and I'm perfectly fine with adventuring on my own.
Now, on to the next adventure!
