I know I’m melancholic and introspective at the best of times.
I try to balance these posts with some ‘stream of consciousness’ internal dialogue, some hiking/trail info and I make an effort to keep it real by including my missteps and mistakes.
Hiking 3000km is hard going, not gonna lie, and stuff happens.
Like this.
I needed to have a quick stop and didn’t take my pack off.
You know I have been having some problems with my hip?
Today, I fell down a mountain.
Well ok, it was probably a hill.
Hillock?
Anyway, I stopped hiking to have a toilet break, kept my pack on and all strength in my hip and thigh disappeared and I fell down this... mountain... with my pants down, arms flailing, hat over my face and my butt in the air.
I had overbalanced backwards and the weight of my pack took me tumbling down the slope.
I stopped rolling after a few meters, arms and legs flung out like a drunken, startled starfish, fingertips digging frantically in to the ground.
It happened so fast and I lay there for a minute, trying to regain my breath, a bit stunned.
What just happened?
I flexed my arms and legs and wriggled a bit.
Nothing broken.
And then, a little giggle started in my throat, and I just lay there, in the middle of nowhere, chortling away at the utter absurdity of it all, with my head still pointing downhill.
I realised my strides were still down and I was just lying there like an upside down turtle.
I pulled up my daks and the giggle turned into a full on belly laugh which didn’t stop as I tried to roll over and get back to my feet, pack still on.
These are the moments when I am completely and fallibly human.
And when being alive feels just... glorious.
You’ve gotta laugh, right?
Commentaires