Not all who wander are lost

Over the Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I tried a new hiking trail. We drove out to a place in Oakland, NJ that we had never hiked before.

Spoiler alert, the trail was beautiful and challenging. We had a picture perfect day on which to explore. And explore, we did.

Whether it is hiking or making a new dish or trying something new, there's an unfamiliarity. In Buddhism, this is called "the beginner's mind" - a state of mind that comes with not knowing where you're going. Beginners can approach a new experience without preconceived notions, or the so-called "thicket of views and opinions".

The trailhead was not clearly marked  - we weren't sure about where to start. So, anxious to get going, we just followed our noses. Soon it was clear we weren't really going in the direction we wanted. It was a holiday weekend, so there were plenty of other hikers on the trail. 

Each friendly face helped us out, they gave us directions, but we still had this nagging feeling - wondering if we're going in the right way. 

Persistence is key, right? We just kept going, knowing we'd want to get up to the ruins that were at the top and see the view from up there. But again, we made a wrong turn, we didn't know where we were going. And then an angel in a Yankees cap appeared, and gave us some insight that blew our minds. 

Did you know that trail markers tell you what direction to go? A single vertical mark - the long vertical rectangle means keep going straight. Two vertical rectangles where one is slightly askew to the right, means turn right. 

Right turn

If skewed to the left, bear left. 

Up until this point, we we're just following the color. We didn't know there was a secret language and by the way - it's not secret. It's posted on every hiking trail. 

So there's something to be said for wandering, meandering, moving through life without really a sense of where you're going or not always needing directions, impulse, spontaneity, all of that is helpful and healthy to our mind to our bodies to our sense of well being to just do things when the moment strikes. 

However, when you're hiking, you want to make sure you know where you're going. You don't want to get lost. So we were very grateful to have this insight. And it has changed hiking for us forever. 

Be open to meandering, but allow guides to direct your path when they appear.