Adventuring within....

I had just rolled into Calgary the night before, I got a ride from a kind, simple trucker from Crows Nest pass, about 2 hours out of Calgary. I was looking to visit with my Aunt, my fathers cousin, who i had never met before. My father spoke highly of her, so I was looking to build a bridge with her.

We decided that the next morning we would head out to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for a pick-nick lunch. We packed up for the day and headed out, about a 25 minute drive.

We steeled on an unmarked trail leading up the slopes of the rolling green hills. Choose a seat on the side of one of the hills that overlooked the entire valley leading to Calgary. The sun was warm, but not hot. The wind was calm. The sky had a deep blue hue and a handfull of fluffy white clouds. THe grass smelled like sweet grass, the air was crisp. It was a beautiful afternoon, a gift to be there.

We pulled out our lunch, some cheeses, a little wine, breads and a few hand made sausages that my uncle had prepared the previous winter. Stories, laughter, playfulness ensued. I learned that my Aunt had met Grey Owl and had some art work he produced. My Uncle was an avid trader and was doing well. They both asked about my last month of Hitch Hiking around the country, which i happily shared.

I think it was at the end of the meal, the point where we are still picking, not out of hunger but just because we can not quite stop yet, that we heard a huff come from over the hilltop. We all looked up the slop to the blue sky where we spotted the silhouette of a large Mountain Goat slowly trotting over the hill.

Apparently we had dinned in the middle of the main drag for these lovely animals. As we sat there, a dozen goats snaked around us as they passed us on their way down the hill. The male lead was huge, the females where beautiful and the young goats where soft looking and cute. WE could smell their wild odors, we could hear then huffing. They ignored us and just moved on.

I have had the privilege of seen so much in my life. Adventuring is what I do best. I have seen miracles, monsters and more. It is something that I will write more about and share. Hitchhiking, moving around, walking and getting lost. It is exhausting and always an adventure.

What I have come to realize is that I do not need to adventure out into the world anymore. I have reached a point in my life that has shifted from outer adventurer to inner adventurer.

I now explore the depths of happiness. There is no dull day in the adventure of happiness and no need to push myself to hard. I explore the realms of health, feeling good in my mind, body and spirit. I wonder through the deep chasms of love, always in search of the boundaries, never finding them. I hike the mountains of meditation, inner journeys and inner exploration.

I have found a profound peace in being still, being present and being in one spot every night. The mountain goat picknick was a gift I would never trade but it took a lot to get there and to be honest, maybe too much. I am wiser now, I do not need to spend energy to get somewhere, I can be wildly challenged in my adventures in my back yard with a 4 year old. As long as I open my heart.