The are lots of cliche sounding quotes out there about the journey being more important then the destination. A few of my favorite examples:
Success is a journey, not a destination.
Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.
- Greg Anderson
Remember, the work of art lives in the experience, the journey within the process, not in the resulting monument to be presented in a certified art-place.
- Eric Booth
I do my best to remember this type of mindset, but personally I tend to fall into the "results" mindset. Striving for my goals and focused on achieving them, even with reckless abandon at times. Typically if I set out on an adventure, I will have a goal and not stop or slow down until it is achieved. This has served me very well many, many times! But my adventure yesterday was a perfect reminder that it doesn't need to be the case every time.
My city (Hamilton Ont) is known as the waterfall capitol of the world, with more then 120 waterfalls in the area (a few of which I have posted about) and I wanted to visit some that I have not seen yet. I decided to check out two of them there are fairly close to each other, Sugar Shack falls and Dyment falls. From the pictures online they both looked amazing!
I started the adventure in Dundas, Ont. at the bottom of the Niagara escarpment (I could have started at the top of the escarpment but that is way too easy).
The fairly flat and easy to traverse terrain quickly changed to a hard and drawn out struggle up. Loose dirt and rocks, large amounts of deadfall, mosquito's and a variety of other insects. A few old ruins of structures helped a little bit, but what I thought would take around 30 minutes to get up. Turned into an hour and a half.
Finally reaching the top, I found a pavilion and the old maple syrup sugar shack. (header photo is also from the sugar shack)
After slugging my way up the escarpment and checking out the shack. I was more then ready to check out some cool waterfalls!
A short way down the trail, I saw the old stone and wood bridge that crosses the top of the Sugar Shack falls. But as I got closer I found a bridge crossing a dried up river bed.
Disappointed but undeterred, I continued down the trail and on a country road to find Dyment falls.
I arrived at the second waterfall to again find a dried up river bed! I walked down the river bed to the rocks where the crest of the waterfall would be. I sat down on these boulders, not frustrated but determined. That "results" mindset had kicked in big time and I was on the map looking for other waterfalls in the area. There was only about an hour left of sunlight left, but I didn't care, I was not leaving "empty handed"
I pinpointed a waterfall that was in range and decided to take a small break before trekking to it. I started to think about all of the times in the past, when I had been thrown "curves and dead ends" but marched through and attained my desired goal. Thinking how climbing up the escarpment, hiking these beautiful trails, coming across the sugar shack and even the ruins would all be part of a great adventure with a climax of a waterfall.
That was when it hit me. The goal was seeing some waterfalls, but even without them. This has been an amazing adventure. All of those things that I listed above and then some. I had faced adversity and conquered it, found some cool things that I had never seen before, and even as a bonus. Had spent 4 hours on the trails and in the forest without seeing or hearing another person (population in the area is over 5 million). That very rarely happens!
This was an epic journey without reaching the destination. Why push like I usually do when I can just kick back and take in the solitude and beauty of my adventure.
I think many of us get caught up in hustle and bustle of the "rat race" in cities, the desire for cool social media content, and so much more. That we loose sight of some equally important things in life. Like stopping and enjoying the journey of whatever you may be doing.