The first morning that I woke up (not that I actually considered what I did the night before "sleeping," more like "dosing intermittently in an uncomfortable manner") in The Enchantments, I knew I was witnessing magic. Magic around me, of course, but magic within me as well.
I stumbled out of the orange, spaceship-looking tent I had shared with one of my fellow backpackers and drowsily walked toward the lake. Everyone I was camping with was asleep. The night before I remember thinking to myself, "what the hell were you thinking?!" I went to "bed" (or newly purchased sleeping bag and small blowup pillow) snuggled up in fleece leggings, a long-underwear long sleeve shirt, a down jacket, a beanie, and socks--yet I still curled up in a tight ball for warmth. I am the first to admit that I am a complete baby when it comes to cold weather. But that is not the point. The point is that I barely slept. I tossed and turned, trying desperately not to wake up my new friend who seemed to have no trouble sleeping. It was fairly miserable. So when I crawled out of the tent early that first morning and looked around, the emotions stirring inside of me were a complete and drastic change to those that visited me in the dark.
Magical, I thought. Completely magical.
All doubts about the trip disappeared. I found a perfect chair-like moss-covered tree right on the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake. My new tree. I climbed up and looked around in silence, seemingly mirroring the awe and amazement the rest of the world felt witnessing such a graceful start to the day.
I felt almost breathless, in awe of the majestic beauty. The morning sunlight danced across the rippling lake surrounded by mountains and tall trees and large rocks. True beauty. Not perfect. It was that raw, real beauty that is so unapologetically true to herself that it takes your breath away... and suddenly, you believe in magic again.
Two days and two epic hikes later (another post for another time) I found myself awake before the sun. At first, I was angry. Everyone was asleep around me and there I was, exhausted and sore yet unable to sleep. After allowing myself to have a few minutes of angry inner-dialogue (we all have to indulge ourselves sometimes) I asked myself, "ok, why did the Universe wake me up so damn early?" Immediately I knew that I was meant to watch the sun rise.
Again, trying (and failing) to sneak out of the insanely loud tent quietly, I gathered my hammock and sleeping bag and made my way to My Tree in the fading darkness.
---Excerpt from journal: "It was serene and perfect. Rippling lake, then rocks, then tall trees... sun glow illuminating the sky beyond the trees-- pale blue sky- then crescent moon- one lone star- leading to puffs of clouds-- and then, infinity. As the sun rose, the sky turned pastel--baby pink clouds and tangerine sky crept up above the tree line."
"One of my favorite things in this world is to watch the sun -- set or rise -- painting colors across the sky -- glowing and illuminating -- simultaneously easing the world into slumber and caressing the world into life again."
This trip to The Enchantments, my first ever backpacking trip and definitely not my last, illuminated magic around me and within me. I was reminded of the power of the mind and the ability we have to convince our bodies to do things that they don't think they can do. Even as your limbs scream and cry - the mind can silence the wails, wipe away the tears, and help push and pull the limbs up that damn mountain until they see the truth: we are far more capable than we ever thought. Yes, my eyes witnessed magic, but my soul witnessed even more. Being immersed in Nature without the thrums of every day westernized life numbing the senses was a spiritual journey in itself -- a powerful reminder that I feel most alive when surrounded by natural wonders.
I felt as if my soul could take a big, deep, cleansing breath of fresh mountain air. I made eye contact while I got to know my fellow campers instead of looking at the tops of heads while addicted phone-junkies check their devices for their next endorphin-rush. I listened to the wind in the trees, the rustle of leaves, and the songs of birds instead of hearing cars or machines or annoying cell phone alerts interrupting the interesting conversation or the beautiful silence. I live a fairly nature-infused life on Maui, but even so, being deep in the mountains brought me even further from unnecessary chaos, clutter, and noises and closer to my true self.
I can't imagine a world without wildness and wilderness. Let's not allow that to happen.
