Before you (we) shut down the computer

On the last day of work, before shutting down the computer and departing for vacations, I thought about how many times in the last 30 years I have prepared my backpack and hiking gear, a repetitive action at first sight but with an unpredictable outcome.

 I have to fit all my needs and belongings into a 50-litre rucksack. It is a simple exercise that can teach you valuable lessons depending on how you go about it.

There is a rule, probably the only one, that you should always remember when you walk. Whatever you put in your backpack you will have to walk with, you will have to carry it! It is one of my favorite analogies between walking and life.

More or less experienced hikers and travelers know that we should not take more than 1/10 of our body weight, but honestly speaking, we only understand what we can take when walking.

The most important skill we need to master is how good we become at mixing essential things and how good we become at getting rid of superfluous items, creating perfectly imperfect balances.

If you take only water, you sure will not be thirsty, but you might get cold at night. If you take only clothes, you will never appear in the pictures with the same shirt, but you might starve as the journey progresses.

Once again, looking at my backpack, I understand my ” Universe’s size and weight.” A needle and thread, a couple of T-shirts, one shirt, two pairs of shorts, a polar fleece, three pairs of socks, a sleeping bag, three pairs of underwear, a poncho, sandals, a hat, sunscreen, a towel, earplugs, a diary, and a pen.

I have a funny feeling when I compare the hundreds of things in my office with my list of essentials for my vacations.

Experience tells me that I barely need much more for the next 100km of happiness. I stop for a moment and think about where the unperfected balance in my life is, that thin red line that reassures me that I’m not carrying more than I can take.

Life and the route are magnanimous. If it becomes too heavy, you may need to drop something. But don’t worry, a few kilometers up the road, you will probably understand why.

Maybe it is time to check your backpack.

If you need help, look at our Walking Mentorship program that is coming up at the end of October in Costa Vicentina (early bird until the end of August), or maybe start dreaming about 2024 already available dates, and this time, we might share the road.

Ultreia et Suseia

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING?

This time we were the ones being interviewed for a podcast. It was a pleasure to talk with the team at Coaching Outdoors! Get your headphones and walking shoes ready, and come with us for a walk and talk. The last week of July was also the time for our annual Parents & Kids in Galicia, Spain, one of our favorite programs, and we already have dates for 2024 !!!

Click on the image to listen.

At the end of July, we were in Galicia, Spain, for the Parents & Kids program.

Click on the image to watch the video.