Prior to starting my backpacking, hiking, and camping adventures, I had no knowledge of the outdoors. In fact, I was a typical city slicker. Over the years, I had become frustrated with office politics and a corporate culture that sucked the soul from my body. Many nights and weekends were spent in the office to the point where I forgot how to enjoy myself when I did have free time. This caused intense feelings of regret each time I had free time – I ended regretting the fact that I wasted it, simply because I didn’t know how to utilize it. I needed to make a change but I had no idea what “change” entailed. A short trip to Utah ended up changing my life.
Everyone in town met me with a smile, which was very scary at first. In my city, no one smiles at you without you having to pay for it. In Utah, there was no pretense. Folks were just happy to be polite. Although I was delighted, people could read the stress on my face, and I could see none on theirs. What was their secret? Over the next few weeks, I would find out.
Hiking in Zion National Park
I wanted to get out of my friend’s hair for a while, so I took her suggestion of experiencing things unique to the area. I rented a car and drove 4 hours to Zion National Park. Being a novice driver, this was both a daunting and exciting experience.
The amount of tourists in Zion surprised me. Even more surprising was the fact that most of the tourists were on holiday from overseas. They had come to the United States simply to visit Zion National Park, and here I was, a citizen who up until recently had no knowledge of the place. I’m not one to marvel at popular destinations – I prefer hidden gems – but this turned out to be an exception.
One of the more famous hikes in the park is called Angels Landing. It gets this name from how steep the climb to the top is. As soon as I saw the trail sign that stated the trail should only be attempted by experienced hikers and those who are exceptionally fit, I got excited. The fact that the hike itself is very dangerous also piqued my interest. The hike was long and tiring and the entire ordeal ended up being a very humbling experience.
My Epiphany
After returning to the city, it hit me. Utah and its citizens thrive on nature. Their love for the outdoors might be evident from their active participation in seasonal sports, but to an outsider it is clear that the rejuvenating qualities of nature allow for a higher quality of life in Utah than elsewhere. Once I realized this, I knew that I had to replicate their lifestyle to the best of my abilities. A few years and a few thousand miles of hiking later, my quality of life has improved dramatically.
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