When you are blessed enough to live in the beauty of the Black Hills National Forest, there is always an opportunity to begin or end your day with a hiking adventure, whether your time is limited or endless. On this particular day, it was mother-daughter time, and we loved exploring the hundreds of trails together. Our overloaded schedules didn’t allow much space in our day, so we chose what was supposed to be a simple one-mile hike up to Boulder Hill. Trail signs were nowhere in sight, but with our desired destination named Boulder Hill, and we knew from acquaintances that we started at the correct trailhead for an easy peasy hike, we surely couldn’t miss it, or so we thought.
The best part of hiking with my adult daughter is catching up, sharing stories, and laughter. After about 45 minutes of wandering the trails and having no clue where we were, we both knew we should have been there and back to our jeep by now. We kept moving. Eventually, we lost track of time and what trailhead we were supposed to be on, as this determined daughter of mine would keep rolling on, up and down the hills. We felt carefree at the sound of whispering pine trees and the crackling of the branches on the ground as a graceful deer hurried past us. Looking down at my pedometer, I noticed we were now on mile seven; it was only supposed to be a two-mile hike. She refused to give up, as I pleaded with her because I had so much work to complete today, while deep down, I was proud of her tenacity. She dismissed my pleas with a wave of her hand and continued barging forward, backward, or in circles, up, down, through the trees, convinced we would find our destination. We would see giant boulders and say to one another, “I bet that is it!” “We’re almost there!” Yet, to find we were not, we had no clue where we were. We were lost.
Subsequently, I lost it at the thirteen-mile mark. This one-hour adventure had turned into an afternoon and evening adventure, and I still had work to finish. We were ending this hike! She was not agreeable, but I promised we would attempt this another day.
Picture this journey in the middle of the forest—no cell phone coverage, we need help, and at what trailhead did we leave the jeep? Thankfully, we followed the force and ended up in our car. At this moment, my adorable offspring noticed a trail on the other side of the parking lot and shouted, “We should try this one!” At this point, the sun was going down, and I refused. She was unhappy. I reminded her of my promise to try again. I had the keys and was leaving before we got lost again or attacked by a mountain lion in the dark.
By the time we sat back in our jeep, we were exhausted, and at the same time, getting lost together was gratifying. We had the opportunity to embrace the spontaneity of life and our day together. We whined, we laughed, and we shared intimate, quality time. I am grateful we were safe and returned to our car before dark, but I am most thankful for our extended mother-daughter time.
I learned that day the art of getting lost, whether deliberate or an accidental escape, involves embracing the uncertainty of the unknown surroundings. Allowing oneself to be fully immersed in the moment, discovering beauty in the journey rather than focusing on the predefined destination.
Getting lost can lead to confronting fears or limitations. It can cultivate deeper relationships or encourage curiosity, reflection, and soul-searching.
Ultimately, the art of getting lost is not about losing one’s way but about finding oneself among the vastness of the unknown, discovering new experiences and perspectives, and appreciating the beauty of the journey, wherever it may lead.
We attempted our Boulder Hill hike again, but this time, we brought a tour guide, my loving husband. He had not been on the trail before but thankfully led our adventure. It wasn’t as effortless as we thought, and truth be told, our daughter looked at me and whispered, “I am sure glad he is with us because we would have never found this on our own.”
There will always be work, and there will always be something else to do. Still, the moments we shared getting lost together, learning more about one another, and bonding through the miles are moments I will treasure. Getting off the planned trail and using your day to be lost could occasionally be the adventure you need.