We had planned this hike months in advance.

New hiking shoes were purchased. Bug spray was acquired. Detailed lists were made...

Not by this adventurer, though.

Luckily, Tony's preparedness tends to offset my spontaneity.

And then, of course, the plans changed—because that's what plans do.

We ended up not going, at least not as the group activity we expected. As it turned out, our river adventure had pretty much done everyone else in.





     

Tony and I still went after everyone else had left.

We were led by one of my favorite guides ever, two dogs, a cat, and a new friend.

And honestly?

It turned out to be the best time I had on the entire trip.

We climbed over fallen trees, did our best to avoid the stinging nettle, and watched a puppy experience her first adventure as we searched for the cave.

I'm pretty sure my excitement level rivaled hers.

We found places where years of flowing water had smoothed the rocks. There were giant boulders practically begging me to climb them, trees to scramble over, and something new waiting around every corner.

It all made me feel at home.

Nature always does that.

When isolation starts to get to me, I've found that the company of good people and great scenery has a way of making me feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.



The company that day was perfect: two locals guiding two wandering nomads.

There wasn't some giant attraction waiting for us at the end. We got to stop and look at the rocks and the formations left behind by the water. We noticed the moss and leaves. We watched the dogs play in the creek.

And I was completely in my nirvana.





I think people often overlook places that don't have a major attraction attached to them.

Before this trip, about the only thing in Ohio that had really interested me was Cedar Point.

Turns out, there's so much more.

The woods.

The trails.

The river.

The little places you would probably drive right past if nobody gave you a reason to stop.

Sometimes it takes a friend to remind you what you love doing. Sometimes it takes someone who knows the area to show you the places from their hometown that you'd never find on your own.





Getting back into nature has done more for me than I ever expected.

The previous five years had brought isolation and some incredibly difficult changes in my life. Somewhere among all of that, getting outside became more than something I enjoyed doing.

It became somewhere I could breathe again.

Exploring America with my best friend gave me something positive to look forward to. There were new trails to wander, rivers to explore, rocks to climb, ridiculous plans to make—and inevitably change—and places I didn't even know I wanted to see until we found them.

Ohio was one of those surprises.

I went there thinking I knew what Ohio had to offer.

I left realizing I'd barely scratched the surface.

It was beautiful, unexpected, and somewhere I have a feeling we'll find ourselves returning to many more times in this lifetime.

Although there is still one important piece of unfinished business...

We never found Sasquatch.

I guess we'll have to save that adventure for next time.