reflections from yosemite
This past weekend, we went to Yosemite National Park and spent an incredible 48 hours hiking and taking in the sights. It was rejuvenating, eye-opening and a much-needed reset. Here are some things that crossed my mind during and after the trip.
The most dominant emotion I felt was awe. Pure, unadulterated wonder at the towering rock monoliths around us. Standing at the base of El Capitan and having my entire field of vision taken up by the sheer rock face was staggering—it was almost like my brain couldn’t comprehend the hugeness of it all. That feeling of smallness, of being so insignificant in comparison, puts things in perspective like nothing else. Every hike or stop we made gave me the same feeling of wonder—Tunnel View, staring up at Half Dome from the meadow below, looking up at Upper Yosemite Falls or down at the sprawling valley below from 2000 feet up the mountainside…insane.
The reset piece was somewhat involuntary, but maybe the best part. Because the service in the park and at our AirBnB was very spotty, I was pretty much disconnected from my phone the whole weekend (except to take pictures), and it honestly felt profoundly liberating. What was crazy to me was actually passing people on hikes who were sitting on the trail, eyes glued to their phones as if they weren’t surrounded by one of the most beautiful places on earth. Even if I’d had service, I wouldn’t have wanted to look at my phone.
The other most dominant emotion I felt was gratitude. On Day 2, we did both the hike to Nevada falls and the hike to Upper Yosemite falls, which culminated in a total of 30k steps and 14.5 miles covered by the end of the day. Being able to do all of those things, having the fitness and ability to use my body and be totally fine the next day, is not something I take for granted. And I know that it’s a result of training my body day in and day out, building preparation so that I can do just about any physical activity without worrying if I’m capable. It’s the fitness to just GO, to do anything, to say yes. And being able to capitalize on those things reinforced in my mind WHY I do what I do, and why I’ll continue to do them for as long as I live.
