Again. The nightmares don't seem to ever want to stop or give me a break. At first it took me forever to actually fall asleep and then when I did I was haunted with nightmares all night long; thankfully, though I am getting very little sleep I don't feel tired in the slightest. I actually feel the opposite of tired and feel as though I have a boundless amount of energy and am never truly tired. It was 07:00 and still dark outside when I gave up trying to go back to sleep. Instead I crawled out of my camper after changing into my workout clothes. This time I did a workout from the 21 day fix program and that went better; however, I was not a huge fan of that program and near the end we had to do crunches and because of my neck issues that does not work for me. I did think I solved the problem with the rough ground work by placing my beach towel, folded up, on top of my yoga mat so I will try that next time.
After my workout, I made some oatmeal and have realized that next time I buy oatmeal I will not buy the steel-cut ones for they take too long to make and unlike the flakes I cannot simply just add boiling water and wait for it to cook in my cup. I decided to make a batch of oatmeal so I wouldn't have to go thru the long process every morning so while I waited for it to cook I organized and prepped for my hike today. Thankfully, it was not raining yet and was actually getting to be some what bright out! With my oatmeal finished I ate a serving of that with cinnamon, honey and a banana inside my vehicle where I was trying to charge up my phone for the hike. By the way, I cracked my phone today while I was exercising. I have nothing to prop it up on so I used the little ledge where my window is in my camper door and it was working until I decided to try and pause the video without actually grabbing my phone.
I started my 9.2 mile hike on the Cape Alava trail that took me for three miles thru some old growth forests. The hike followed a wet and leaf covered boardwalk the entire way and passed thru trees covered in moss and vegetation so thick one couldn't see five feet on either side of the trail. Mushrooms dotted the forest floor next to the moss and pools of water where everywhere from all the rain. It seemed to be more of a bog then a forest at times and when one breathed in one acquired a breath of moisture rich air that contained an earthy aroma. At one section the boardwalk entered a meadow/bog area that was so quite I had to stop and listen. There was nothing but the far off sound of the ocean and the quite of the area made me want to stay there, lost, forever.
When I reached the coast there were no signs marking the trail so I climbed down the embankment and walked until I found a section that was not five feet deep in kelp and littered with the hordes of flies that gathered on all the kelp. The beach section, although an additional three miles, seemed to take longer for the footing was soft and one was constantly making sure to not to step on the slippery kelp. I wound in and out of logs, rocks, sand and pools of water. Twice I stood up too soon from under a fallen tree and smashed my skull into the log above so hard that I was surprised to not have suffered a concussion. The weather was still clear, warm and the sun struggled thru the haze to reach me. I passed a bald eagle on top of a rock out in the water feeding, a full gull carcass, pools of little fish and crabs, bear prints in the sand, a dead carcass of my first "wild" sea otter, a pair of hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus), the "tail" end of a snake, and a flock of my first Harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus)!!!
The tide was getting higher as I neared the end of the three miles and at one point I had to use a rope to climb up and over a huge rock that blocked my path and jutted out into the ocean. Back inland, I took the Sandy Point Trail three miles back to the Ozette Ranger Station. Near the end, my feet were feeling the 9.2 miles and the workout I had did before that. As I made it back to my camper I made sure to do some stretches for my muscles were tight and then I just changed in broad daylight into clean clothes; though, I was a bit at a loss as to what to wear for it was quite warm out and I was in shock. Once I was changed I hung my clothes up to dry and aired out my camper and I have to admit I felt like those kids in the movie Twilight that are all laying out in the sun! I did the dishes and I was so ravenous that I made a salad of kale, carrots, bleu cheese, a hard boiled egg and the mango-lime dressing I made. When that was gone I had my coffee and a slice of bread with almond butter. I ate all of this while sitting at the picnic table at my site over looking the lake and perfectly at peace and happy. I could get used to this and do this every day...oh wait I kind of am. ;)
After I had packed everything up I got in my vehicle and with my coffee began driving East towards Port Angeles, Washington. I had no service but there was only one road and I had a map so I wasn't worried. In fact, as I drove, it occurred to me how absolutely happy and content I am in my life right now. I was just driving down this beautiful, winding road that was covered on both sides with trees in all their pristine fall color and I was the only one on the road. The radio was playing in the back ground and I was just taking it all in when it hit me. I never believed people when they say that a revelation just hit them and then everything changed but now I am a believer. For all of a sudden this feeling of pure unadulterated freedom and happiness overcame me. Everything that I had been holding on to, all the people who have come and gone in my life, all the things that have happened to me in the last couple years just left me. All of those things have been snowballing inside of me getting bigger and bigger and it got to the point where I could no longer contain it. I noticed that it started to break thru me and I could no longer hold myself together; I could no longer contain my emotions like I used to. I started to yell at people and get angry and not be able to control how I felt and then I noticed it was beginning to affect those around me from my roommates, to my coworkers and friends...just everyone. As I was driving though it all left me; everything I had been holding onto just seemed to vanish. I know they will always be there inside me but I know now that those people and those events made me stronger but they do not define ME. No longer will I let people get under my skin for I will be stronger, I will be the person I want to be and I know that as long as I put myself first and have the strength of my family that I can be anyone I want and do absolutely anything I want. The only word I can use to truly describe how I feel inside is: Free.
Now that I just went on another long tirade (haha) lets get back to my day. Originally, I was going to stay at a Walmart in town but I passed a little road just 28 miles West of Port Angeles that I backed into for the night and it was covered in fall color and perfect. I skyped my mom while I ate my dinner for at least an hour or so and I can not wait to see them all come Christmas! That conversation was just the topping on a perfect day!
 |
| dead otter! |
No comments:
Post a Comment