Let's Go, Jane!

This was a tough week for blogging, I had to write a policy paper and it took me FOREVER. But I’m committed to doing a weekly post, and to do at least 100 of them (I’m up to 18!) so here we are. After submitting my paper, I found myself with no draft post, no adventures to write about, and only two days left before I was due to post something. Cue the internal pep talk; “Anything can be an adventure, adventure is just a state of mind!” Feeling like maybe a full adventure was too ambitious, I settled on a microadventure instead.

On Wednesday night, around 7 pm, I set off on my first ever “night hike.” I’ve hiked this particular trail over 200 times, but always during the day (and once barefoot!). In preparation for the hike I googled “night hiking” and a frequent suggestion was to start with a familiar trail. Perfect, I thought. I know one that I can do with my eyes closed!

I started gathering supplies. A water bottle, a whistle, an extra layer of clothing, and a just-in-case flashlight. I was surprised at how nervous I was at the prospect of heading into the woods alone in the dark. I made the familiar drive to the nature preserve and parked my car in the empty lot. I shared my location with my boyfriend in case I got eaten (given a choice between running into a man or a bear, I’m still going to choose a bear!) and headed off into the forest.

I’m not going to lie, I was a little freaked out at this point. During the hour and a half it took me to complete the 2.5 mile loop, I alternated between feeling exhilarated and feeling terrified. I kept imagining what the rescue crew was going to ask me, “Ma’am, what were you thinking?” At times I couldn’t see the trail at all. The only way to catch a hint of the trail was to stop and unfocus my eyes like when you look at one of those stereogram pictures.

Several times I had the thought that what I was doing was ridiculous. What are the dangers of the night forest? Wild animals, violent humans, falling and getting injured? What could possibly go wrong?

I heard leaves rustling to one side of the trail, and it made me stop in my tracks. Without the visuals of day hiking I was extra attuned to the sounds of the night. I could hear water flowing into the lake, and a train whistle in the distance. What kept me going around the loop was anticipation of the sense of accomplishment I would feel when I made it safely back to the car. I kept imagining texting my boyfriend “I made it!” and then driving home with a grin.

I’m very proud of myself for hiking 2.5 miles alone in the dark. I love the idea that this was something I’ve done so many times before, but I was able to experience it in a completely new way. If I make a point of trying new things (or new ways) every month, just think of how many experiences that will add up to over the years! I also proved to myself that adventures come in all sizes and it’s up to me to find them!