Come To Your Senses!
Something I’ve learned during my almost 50 years on this planet called earth is that nature is good and necessary. If you want to improve your life, “GET OUT!”, and reconnect with it. I have personally found that just a couple days out in nature dramatically improves my well being. Scientists have proven it. Don’t believe me? Even Google says it’s true!
Those that know me, know I love getting on my Heritage Softail Springer and just taking off for a ride into the mountains. In the past, music has always been blasting in my ears. Over the roar of the engine and the whistle of the wind, it takes me to another place. Now this wasn’t all that bad, but recently my trusted earphones had died and not really wanting to go out and buy a new pair I’ve resorted to riding without. This has led to an interesting experience. That experience was one that I learned, but all forgotten, from when I was young Boy Scout. One summer we decided that it would be a great idea to ride our bicycles from Calgary to Banff. As it turned out, it was hard (for the majority of us it was the first long ride we had ever done). During the ride the one thing that became very clear to me was how many of my senses were heightened. Smells changed frequently, the intensity of the sun grew, sight became more responsive, and sounds became clearer. You could even feel the changes in the wind, the temperature changes, and at times you could almost sense slight pressure changes. Now fast forward a number of decades to this past summer and I’m on a week long Motorcycle trip with no earphones. For the most part it was just me and the open road and the senses are starting to wake up! I can feel and smell the wind. I’m seeing all the little things on the road, both in front and beside of me. I’m syncing, I’m reconnecting! No longer am I fighting the road, trying to control it, but becoming part of it. The curves no longer are difficult and speeds at which to take them are effortless. I love it when it gets to this part of any ride, it is literally my Zen Moment. This is the time when, for me, memories are formed. You see I’m pretty sensitive! Ok, stop laughing! What I mean by this is that any major memory or time in my life is closely tied to a number of senses. For example, when I smell fresh brewed coffee, I think of my Oma and Opa. Even camping trips and the smell of campfire conjure memories of summer with my family and friends. The one thing I’ve found, is that when my senses heighten/reawaken, my mind relaxes. I calm down and my creative and adventurous mind wakes up. I think I become a better version or maybe even a truer version
That last bit really hit home for me this past summer as this was our real first year in the Overland community. What we found out is that we both benefited from the disconnect from our day to day and reconnecting with nature. We started longing for the next trip, it became addicting. We wanted to “GET OUT” more and more. So, that is now the challenge! How do we “GET OUT” more? The easy, but not so easily executed answer is, we made a conscious effort to prioritize our weekends. Now, every time we went out, it wasn’t always multiple day trips, but we did get out at least for an afternoon. We explored some new valley, a new stretch of road or a mountain path for hiking. Though short, it seemed to give us a bit of a recharge that was needed to get through another week. The other trick we found that helped, was to not be in a hurry, be flexible and be okay with stopping along the way. Maybe even take a spontaneous quick dip in a near by body of water. By the way, you should never pass water without jumping in! Water and the flow of it has it’s own benefits on the ol’ senses, but that may have to be for another Blog.
In the end, make time to disconnect and reconnect with Mother Nature. She is there waiting for you to come home, put up your feet and relax. It is something that you won’t regret.