The Peak of my Bodies Exhaustion or the Peak of my Minds Exhaustion?

Never in my twenty-two years of living have I experienced some activity where I completely forgot about life, who I was, where I was, and how absolutely exhausted I was. This was true until my visit to Jackson, NH, where my boyfriend's family has a vacation home. New Hampshire, through my eyes, before this springtime adventure was skiing, snow shoeing, sledding, etc. Hiking was a word in my vocabulary that was very rarely used, nor did I ever associate it with New Hampshire.

This adventure started the night we arrived at their vacation home where we  began looking through a book of trails to see which ones were a good fit (or not). Halls ledge seemed to be on the easier side and only a short three miles to the top didn't seem like a bad idea.

This bad idea didn't seem so bad until we were on mile 1.5 and my legs felt like they could collapse at any moment. This was a numbness I have never felt before, almost as if my muscles have never felt such strain. The only thing I was focused on throughout the entire hike was my next exhausting step and if I could see the top. After about every five steps I would stop, take a break, and tell my boyfriend and his dad that I felt like I could die. With each step they tried to comfort me, telling me I CAN DO IT and I just brushed it off and kept angrily walking.  I felt my heart beating in every part of my body, especially my head. I felt dizzy, light headed, and very weak. This was a three mile hike I should have never signed up to do.

View of Mt. Washington from the top of Halls Ledge Trail

However, despite all my complaints and sensations during the hike, seeing the peak of the mountain is a feeling ecstasy and adrenaline. Although I wish I had some of the pictures from the top saved on my computer, the picture above is the exact view we saw at the top. The amount of emotions I felt at the top was something I couldn't describe. Exhausted, happy, free-minded, as if nothing else in the world mattered at that moment except for the view. Looking back on the hike, I felt something I truly have never felt before. For those three hours I didn't think of one worry I had, what work I had to do, food I had to eat, water to drink, and most importantly no technology surrounding me except for my camera and taking in the beautiful views and smells of nature. My brain was empty in those three hours and the amount of exhaustion I "suffered through" helped with this emptiness I felt.

Now how often can you honestly say your brain is in a total state of relaxation. Pretty hard to do these days. I can actually say I successfully accomplished this task and found that it is possible to get away from this hectic world we live in. It's pretty amazing the power nature, fresh air, and exhaustion can have on you over any man-made object.