A little travel is good for the soul. Today Amy and I drive several hours to go hiking at Queen Wilhelmina State Park near Mena, Arkansas. It is a beautiful, mountainous area, and not crowded in the middle of December. The views are breathtaking, and the breathtaking is crisp. Several trails criss-cross the park which has a lodge at its center atop a mountain.
There are a few tips I can offer on taking a road trip:
1. Plan. Be sure you have enough food for the trip, and if you need to stop, plan your meals so you can eat healthy. Check out stops along the way where you can stop and take a walk — don’t spend the day cooped up in the car with no activity. And be sure you get enough rest as well, before, during, and after the trip.
2. Enjoy. Take in all the things that are different about the area through which you travel. The journey is as important and rewarding as the destination. Check out the views and take time to soak them in with your eyes. Explore the environment with all of your senses. “Stop and smell the roses”. And enjoy the physical part, the exercise.
3. Appreciate. Going someplace new gives me context and perspective. I like to get out of the city or populated areas now and then to remind me that the earth is not as crowded as it seems. And there is a world outside of the virtual world we inhabit much of the time, head down at our computers, staring at our phones, or watching TV.
4. Share. Would we know about all the great things we can do in life were it not for others sharing their experiences with us? Take photos of beautiful and interesting things. Keep a journal — do a podcast!
5. Revisit. In addition to sharing good experiences with others, a good reason for taking photos, video, and notes is to help us remember these experiences. Maybe I’ll want to do this again. Or maybe the experience was not one I’d want to try again for some reason. I’ll remember if I have a record and look back from time to time.
Recorded December 15, 2018.
Weight (change since Jan 2018): 197 (-72)
Workout time: 129 Minutes
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 4.27 Miles (322.92)
Steps: 11,123
Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 145.44 (+2)
Body Fat: 26.1%
2018 Goals:
ACHIEVED (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18
(2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat