Having Trouble "Hiking my own hike"
Hello everyone,
I have just returned to backpacking after a 2-year-long injury.
I just completed a trip that made me realize I need to change my relationship to backpacking, which I love very much.
I don't think that I find much joy in just putting up miles and miles and miles. And I know it's something I'm self-imposing, but I just want more time to play, I guess.
I really enjoy climbing on big rocks and sitting in caves and playing in the water. Some times it feels like backpacking is at odds with this, even though logically I know that it doesn't have to be. But there's this emphasis that I can't really pin down on just eating as many miles in a given day as you can, I guess to experience as much if you can. And there is something about this that does resonate.
I think that I'm torn. On one hand, I love the idea of becoming more of a camper. Setting up my base and then exploring the area.
On The other hand, a huge part of the reason I love backpacking is to experience a kind of isolation- time to myself and with myself. And I fear losing trus that aspect of it as well.
Sorry for the rambling, just something I wanted to express. I love backpacking very much but the way I'm doing it right now I think is not working for me.