It can be one of the more difficult things to do after spending an extended amount of time in the outdoors. After the initial shock of not being able to control the temperature or distract your thoughts with social media or Netflix, you begin to become used to the way your body and mind now move through each day while you’re in the wilderness. Challenges and problem solving are inevitable. Rarely can one sit in their comfort zone all day while being out in the wilderness - even professionals, there are always challenges. There is always something to be done: to make food, to move from one place to the next, to learn to speak your needs when you are truly in pain and needing help and support, to set up shelter, to get water, to adjust for the weather happening - it’s constant movement. Once you become used to this way of life - everything seems simpler. All of the insignificant, petty things you used to worry about, have simply just begun to disappear. Often because just being concerned with your basic daily needs and enjoying all the beauty small intricate little beauties right in front of you are enough to fill your day - all while laughing and learning and growing through challenges with other incredibly strong women - is beautiful and has no need for distraction. When with these women, this sisterhood in the wilderness, You’re allowed to fail. You’re allowed to speak your needs. You’re allowed to be seen for exactly who you are. You’re allowed to be loved for every single part of you especially the ones that forgot how to be loved. You are seen for every single part of what makes you you are and it’s scary and beautiful and so unique - that going back to a world that can push us away from being everything we truly are all because of things like “comparison,” can be extremely difficult.
So, go slow.
Go easy on yourselves. This will be tough and it will be something you will process for awhile. You will likely not be able to sum up or fully explain your experience to any one other the people who had the exact same experience as you. So, begin to find ways to connect your family and best friends into more mini-adventures to help them better understand your experience(s).
Slowly re-enter social media, emails, news phone calls and etc. Your ease back into Frontcountry by only answering a call a day or not reading all emails at once will help you not feel so overwhelmed.
Despite it being tough to come back to the Frontcountry, I can almost guarantee you will also feel an immense amount of joy and gratitude and acceptance of how bad ass you are for completing such an incredible and challenging adventure. I will warn you, that this often leads to further big adventures. So, in those moments when you enter back into the front country and you find yourself alone and about to scroll - start researching and planning for your next incredible adventure. I am almost positive you will not regret it.
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