What an unexpected hike revealed about life’s in-between seasons
Last weekend, my friends and I decided to go on what was supposed to be an easy, well-trodden mountain hike that ended with a beautiful panoramic viewpoint — perfect for people who weren’t avid hikers.
But when we got there, the trail was closed due to unsafe conditions, so we ended up taking a different trail that none of us had ever been on. It was relatively short, so we figured we could tackle it.
We quickly learned that “short” didn’t mean “easy”.
It wasn’t the most physically demanding trail, but it was more rugged and less clearly marked than the more popular ones. That meant narrower paths, more roots to potentially trip on, and more streams of glacier water to cross by hopping on slippery rocks or balancing precariously on logs. What it lacked in strenuousness, it made up for in demanding focus and creative problem-solving. It wasn’t the type of trail you could just wander through mindlessly; it required full presence.
The most hilarious part was the fact that this hiking trail had no breathtaking summit. It was known as a “connector trail”, meaning that it was only meant to connect to more central trails that eventually led to their own spectacular lookouts.
In short:
There was no momentous reward waiting at the end of this hike. The journey itself was the whole point. The process was the payoff — not the destination.
But despite the lack of views, it was still strangely rewarding.
- It forced us to cope with the both the dread and thrill of uncertainty that comes with going on an unplanned, less-worn path and having no idea what to expect, after our original plans got dashed.
- It forced us to find humour in the mishaps (like how we found ourselves trudging through snow in shorts and t-shirts; we weren’t expecting to see snow this far into spring).
- It forced us to be fully present and to connect our minds with our bodies, instead of living in a distracted, dissociated state.
- It forced us to think creatively and strategically to conquer physical obstacles in the environment.
- It forced us to discover that we were capable of more than we realized.
It got me thinking that perhaps it really is possible to relish the different seasons of our lives — even the ones that don’t have a big, shiny reward in the end.
Because, let’s face it: not all of our life’s trails will have a breathtaking summit. Some will be a lot like the hike we just took: only meant to be “connector trails” leading to other ones that have more momentous crescendos. And these connector trails are often more secluded, tucked away in the trees, with very few passersby. But that doesn’t make them any less rewarding; they just have a different kind of magic.
And sometimes we’ll only see the magic in hindsight, because we’re stressed out of our minds while we’re on them (speaking from experience, *cough cough*). But that’s okay too.
So if you are going through a quieter season in your life that feels a lot more hidden and a lot less travelled — a detour from the path you had originally planned on, with no obvious summit to strive towards or “Instagrammable” milestone to celebrate — don’t be so quick to discount your journey. Lean into it. Fully engage with it, even if you are tempted to tune out.
Perhaps you, too, will realize that this detour ended up being more thrilling after all, even if it was fraught with uncertainty and no obvious payoff.
Perhaps you, too, will find that your mishaps were actually the moments that stood out the most — or at least made for a good story.
Perhaps you, too, will discover that you are capable of far more than you realized — but would never have known, had you stuck to the original trail.
You might just find that the quiet, hidden, summitless path really does carry its own magic — just one you didn’t expect.
– Celine
If this stirred something in you, I’d be honoured to keep journeying with you. You can subscribe to receive future letters straight to your inbox.
If someone comes to mind who might need these words too, feel free to share — we all need reminders sometimes. Perhaps they’re meant to receive them.
Celine Diaz: Real Talk 
So well said Celine. It feels a bit like the last two years have been a connector trail – one that often felt frustrating in the moments, but one that brought me so much closer to the things I wanted that it has been absolutely worth it. Through the journey I became the person I needed to be in order to be able to receive and hold the things I wanted all along.
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