My wife and I are both working from home, and even though the boys have started a lawnmowing business, they’re not as busy as they’d like to be yet. With most things they like to do in their spare time either too expensive or still closed, they’re stuck in the house much longer than they’d like.
So on the weekends, we’re all more than ready to get out of the house for a while. Getting out in the wilds and exploring new scenery allows us to tolerate each other a little bit better, even if we’re cooped up on the same vehicle for a couple of hours on the way to our destination and back. I’m convinced if we didn’t go find new adventures every weekend, my wife would smother me in my sleep.
We had to stick close to home the first few weekends, due to the travel restrictions. Even though most of those have been lifted now, we haven’t ventured very far from home. We are finding new places to go within an hour or two from home, and I find myself wondering why I haven’t explored them before.
This last weekend, we hiked the Headquarters Trail off the Blair-Wallis road in the Pole Mountain area between Cheyenne and Laramie. Even though it’s not very far from two of the bigger cities in Wyoming, it was quiet and peaceful up there. Lots of people were camped down by the road, and we did see a few mountain bikers, but for the bulk of the hike, we had the place to ourselves.
Some weekends, we take the fishing gear, and other weekends we take the GPS and do a little off-trail exploring. The key is simply to get outside. The exercise gets the blood flowing, the mountain air refreshes us, and the time together makes us appreciate each other that much more.
Get outside whenever you can. Make it a habit.
