The magic of slowing down

A couple of weeks before I left for the trail, I took a look at my calendar. It wasn’t hard to notice the stark contrast between the months leading up to the tour and the months I would be on the tour. Going back through the months (March, February, January, etc.), they all looked the same. Every day was filled with multiple color-coded blocks of events. When I moved forward, after March, the days were empty. After my “Start the AT” event, the next 6 months were completely open.

As is the case for most people, scheduling and planning have become an ongoing part of my life. With so many things to “fit in” and little time, the best strategy is to plan each day, week and month strategically to be efficient and get everything done. By choosing to walk the trail, not only did I decide to throw all that away for 6 months, but I was also putting myself in an environment where making a plan rarely works.

It didn’t take long along the way to realize that most of the time a “long-term plan” consists of a goal for the day. Whether it’s getting to a specific destination or mileage, that plan usually changes 3 or more times in a day. Being in a group of people, we often make decisions together, which has been much easier than I ever expected. Fortunately, we are all flexible, but we also know that we can make decisions for ourselves as needed. Physical variables such as pain, fatigue, weather, elevation, etc. Our plans can change but, most of the time, we have decided to stop due to other factors.

While the mountain views are nice, a sign like this is one of the most exciting things a hiker will find in the woods.

Looking back on the last few weeks on the trail, there’s no doubt that some of the best times were those when we didn’t focus on our «pace» or “goals” but simply living in the moment. I chose the title of this to include the word «magic,» because we’ve been very lucky to intentionally slow down in the name of trail magic. For those unfamiliar, the magic of the trails is when people give gifts, often food but also rides, electricity to charge devices, etc., to hikers. Since I’ve been on the road, I’ve been blown away by the kindness and generosity of complete strangers. I mean, how can you not take the time to slow down and chat with some people offering you home fries with eggs or jumbalaya, plus sodas, beers, every snack imaginable and more, all from the side of the trail?

While food and drink are often the stars of the show with trail magic, I think the real magic comes from the conversation. I can’t help but think that under any other circumstance I probably wouldn’t be sharing space with these people. It’s easy to see that those who provide magic on the trails and those with whom I share it are very different from my typical social circle at home. Coming from different areas of the country and with diverse backgrounds in work, hobbies, etc., I would probably never cross paths with them in my life if it weren’t for our shared love of the trail.

When my team learned that an incredible magical trail awaited us, we practically ran 4 miles down the mountain. We had a fun afternoon thanks to these kind people from Louisiana.

It’s been so much fun stopping the road (and life in general) with these people for no other reason than to enjoy good food and drink together. Although I’ve only been on the road for a few weeks, I’ve shared many laughs, smiles, and full bellies with people who used to be strangers just moments ago. My gratitude for these people and this experience grows after each shared meal and inspires me to think about what little things I could do to help someone else along the way in the coming days or weeks.

I can feel these waves of gratitude to action along the way. My trail friends and I often talk about how easy it is here to give and receive support. One day I ran out of gas and before I could even comment on it, a friend told me “here use mine.” When someone walks to a water fountain (yes, it’s always downstairs), ask, «Who else needs a full bladder?» Every time you hear «shoot, I forgot…» there is always a «gotcha» response.

A group of us hikers headed back to the trail after a magical snack feast of meatballs, hamburgers, hot dogs, fruit, snacks, sodas, and even root beer floats. How lucky we were!

At first I thought it was funny to be more willing to give and receive help when we all live on “limited resources.” However, the more time I spend here, the more I can see the ways that slowing down allows our brains to shift from “scarcity” to “abundance.”

While I could go on about this topic forever, for the sake of the blog and my battery, I should end. When mentioning gratitude, abundance, etc. I can’t help but think of one of my favorite authors, Robin Wall Kimmerer. In your beautiful book The berry of service she writes: “I want to live in a society where the currency is gratitude and the infinitely renewable resource of kindness, which multiplies every time it is shared instead of depreciating with use.” I am grateful for the ways I have seen his worldview in action on the trail. For the gift of time, the kindness of strangers, and many lessons ahead.

One afternoon after arriving at camp, one of my friends read aloud a section of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, The Serviceberry. We’ve enjoyed seeing the ways the themes and lessons of your book come up along the way.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.