Announcement of a trek through – The Trek

Have you ever mentally rehearsed a life decision a hundred times before saying it out loud?
He prepared the justifications.
He anticipated the questions.
Because announcing a “big decision” to the people you love can be more stressful than making the decision itself.
Sleepless nights.
Imagined reactions.
Projected doubts.
A walk is not simply announced.
You announce it to your parents, your friends, your colleagues, each with their own fears, expectations and insecurities. And sometimes, without meaning to, they project them onto you.
Over the years, Nemo and I have developed a habit of making unconventional decisions that slightly alter our lives.
If there is anything to take away from this post, it is this:
Don’t ask yourself too many questions. Send it.

But before you do, there are two philosophies when it comes to announcing something you care deeply about. Nemo and I have been debating about them for years.

The Philosophy of the Exaggerated Man: If it’s not shared, it’s not real.

When I decide on a big project (a hike, a move, a new direction), I feel the need to tell the world about it. To say it out loud. To make it real.
Nemo has questioned this many times.
Why do you need to share it?
Are you looking for validation?
Approval?
Support?
Is doing something for yourself not enough?
To this day, I don’t have a perfect answer.
Maybe she’s right. Maybe doing it just for me isn’t enough. Or maybe sharing the experience is part of the experience.
It’s like climbing for four hours to ski a backcountry line and then screaming at the top of your lungs because it’s that good. Yes, I’m known for yelling too much when I ski. Joy demands to be expressed.
Announcing a hike feels similar. It’s about your energy. The commitment that comes when you say it out loud.
But Nemo went further.
Is it worth announcing an unpopular decision when you already know that some people will seriously question it?
When will they project their fears onto you?
How will you find work when you return?
Won’t this hurt your career?
Why would you take six months of your life…just to walk?
And here’s the strange part.
As much as I care about sharing the plan, I really don’t care about the negative opinions.
Somehow, my brain filters them out. The alarmism evaporates. What sticks are the smiles, the encouragement, the «that’s great.»
Maybe it’s trust.
Maybe it’s ego.
Maybe I’m too stubborn once a decision is made.
We must rationalize our decisions and justify each of our actions. And it is not enough to listen to our emotions and feelings.
YES, I can go on a hike because I feel like it!

Nemo’s philosophy: He dYou don’t have to share it to be real..

All my life I have kept my goals to myself, not because I was afraid to share them, but probably because I felt like they didn’t need to be shared for them to mean something to me.

Creating a project in your mind makes it special, because it is truly yours. It’s something you think about, something you question yourself about, something you challenge yourself with. It never really occurred to me that I needed to share it with anyone else. Maybe it’s because he’s more discreet or reserved.

I also feel that when you start sharing your project with others, it becomes a little less yours. Some of it becomes yours, through their advice, their feedback, or the way they project their own fears onto you. So maybe, in a selfish but necessary way, I need space to go through all of that on my own. I need time to build confidence in my project, to respond to my own fears and doubts and overcome them.

If you are reading this and I told you about this walk, it means that I consider you a safe space, someone with whom I can share something special. I value your thoughts and know your input will come from a good place.

Whatever way you choose to make your project a reality, the important thing is to trust yourself and move forward.

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