Too much time is wasted doing things that are either unproductive or things we don't want to be doing. Whether it’s the hours we spend on our phones or the long, dreadful shifts we get assigned at work, there are so many other things I know that I would rather do instead. I didn’t realize how much I took my weekends for granted until I started working full-time this summer. I also realized that living in Washington means no one should ever be allowed to say the words “I’m bored.” There is so much to see and do in this beautiful state and now that I only have two days each week to enjoy my life, I try to make the most of them. Lately, I have been doing that by going on adventures such as camping, and hiking, in new places that I have not gone to before, and I am starting to think that everyone could benefit by going outside too.
Last week, a couple of friends and I made an incredibly last minute decision to go camping. We spent about one hour planning the trip and we knew we were not able to leave until night time. We didn’t even know where we were going to end up camping. At 10 pm we started driving on Washington’s world-famous mountain loop highway. It was so dark and we started thinking of everything that could go wrong. As we kept driving, we came across the Verlot campground and it looked pretty cool so we pulled over and picked a spot. We had to use the high beams of my car just to be able to see and set up our campsite. Of course, we made sure to bring all the things that make camping great: a guitar, firewood, s’mores ingredients, a hammock, a tent, all of it. When it came to starting the fire, it took us about 20 minutes to get it going, but we got one started (even with no boy scout training). After about two hours of playing Jack Johnson songs on the guitar and eating trail mix, we decided to go to sleep even though every noise I heard made me think I was going to die.
The best part of the whole trip was the view of the Stillaguamish River in the morning. The night before it had been so dark that we didn’t even realize how close we were to the water. It was breathtaking! With views of the surrounding mountains as well, it was exactly what I had hoped to be near when we were planning the trip. Being outdoors is really great because you forget how much fun it can be to put down your phone for a day and spend real time with not only other people but with yourself.
But for Washington natives, the truth is that you don’t even have to plan an elaborate camping trip or drive hours and hours to experience the awesome places surrounding you! There are so many trails and state parks and state-maintained hikes that you can go experience within a day. A few years ago, I had no idea how beautiful the forests are here and now that I have been on different hikes around the area, I can say that you are missing out on a lot of cool sights and great scenery.
Whether you have no intentions of putting down your phone, or whether you are already back from your day adventuring, I hope you go outside and explore what you haven’t already. Not only does going outside help you stay active and allow you to have a fun weekend, but it also helps you appreciate the state we live in, and it makes you realize how lucky you are to have the life that you do.
