The thrill of the hike, again

I never lost it but I have rekindled the thrill of the hiking trail. My love of the outdoors is that feeling of the earth beneath my well-worn shoes, the smell of deciduous leaves fallen to the ground and eucalyptus trees rising above, the sound of rivers rushing or creeks trickling, and the pure joy from a sense of accomplishment when making the last step back to civilisation.

The trails these days are not so much hidden outback gems as secret near-city outings that inspire my hikes; but alas, the feelings, sights and smells are just as, if not more, invigorating. My friend, Cassandra, has been the impetus for the hikes and sourced both of the following adventures. It’s also quite handy that she’s a brilliant (professional) photographer so my new profile pics are lining up! Although similar to dating a chef and thinking you can’t cook anymore, it’s a hard slog to take a better pic than Cass (these are mine except the last one).

BLUE MOUNTAINS: Over the Queen’s long weekend, the Blue Mountains was our refuge with a hike across National Pass which is halfway down the canyon where you scuttle along the sandstone cliffs then venture further down to Wentworth Falls via enclosed ladder cages. And yes, I was happy to have the protection of the cage! The stroll through the bottom rainforest via Wentworth Pass was the calm before the hard slog back up through Valley of the Waters and all the beautiful waterfalls along the way, before reaching the plateau atop the canyon’s edge.

Factual fun – the Blue Mountains are actually canyons. That’s quite obvious standing from the top looking out to a view that I related to a lush green version of Arizona’s Grand Canyon. The other lesson for the day is that the Blue Mountains are blue because of the aura they give out from the oil of the eucalyptus trees.

GARIGAL NATIONAL PARK: The latest adventure was even closer to home under the Roseville Bridge in Garigal National Park. An impromptu, less organised hike, we started in Davidson’s Reserve along the river’s edge on Lyrebird Track to Carroll Track. The trail split off a number of times at Stepping Rock Crossing and Lyrebird Falls but we kept along the inside path until gauging our time and turning back to beat the sunset.

The less thrilling part of this trek was the tick that had to be extracted from Cass’s head. That bugger had really taken hold but she was well-prepared with tweezers plucked from her Swiss Army knife. It reminded me of the need to toss my pocket knife in the pack next time. The factual fun here is the need to counter-clockwise turn the tick to unhitch the pest and use tea tree oil to cleanse the remaining toxins.

Whether looking for a day out or an extravagant adventure, there’s something to be had for everyone. So grab a walking stick and head out on the trail to see where you can find yourself.

Ever the city slicker, I still love the transformation of my audience’s awe at me walking through Surry Hills with a ‘weapon’ before that lovingly carved stick that’s travelled the country is later planting itself on the trail to steady my way. It’s then when my onlookers of fellow hikers and forest friends are jealous of my trusted walking stick.

This weekend – Dandenong National Park outside of Melbourne!

That last photo is copyright Cassandra Hannagan. Check out her website for other amazing pics! www.cassandrahannagan.com 

#LyrebirdTrack #GarigalNP #hikingchicks

Meditating on meditating

Hmm, I wasn’t sure if the whole meditation thing was for me, but I can say after one session, I do see the benefits. It’s all about settling, centering and calming yourself out of the busy lifestyle that we lose ourselves in.

How did I get there? It was one of ‘those’ days and I saw the free class offered at the nearby community centre where I play tennis. I decided to give it a chance on a lunchtime break. I joined the small group in my work clothes (luckily I was wearing pants) and grabbed a yoga matt, herbal eye pillow and a woollen blanket from the communal closet before choosing a spot in the room to start the session.

You could hear the basketballs thump on the court outside and the tennis swings whooshing about, but you’re meant to internalise your thoughts on your breath and block out the external distractions of activity.

Emotions do overflow and I went through the gamut of them! There was calm that turned to uncomfortableness that led to calm again, then tears burst close to the surface and finally smiles. Broad, happy smiles fill the space that previously rushed around looking for the next thought, activity, or task that I could tackle with the free moments cleared in my head.

I did settle into the process though. I will admit the teacher’s voice started to grate on me with its over-ease and forced smoothness but I used the process to settle into that as well.

I am a yoga follower but even that I find more than a couple times a week and it is overkill for my speedy mind. Like most of us, I need to shake up my activities. I’ve never been a gym junkie as the monotony of practice was not to my liking. So lately, I’m dabbling in a mix of yoga, swimming, tennis, drumming and now meditation. This was just the first class, so I’ll let you know how I go next time around or then again, you just might find me writing a future update from a Tibetan hillside.

The message for my Billagog readers out there – do something that you enjoy, but make sure to give it a chance. Sometimes in that uncomfortableness we find something we didn’t know we could do. Ultimately we should all just be happy! We don’t need to earn it (although no need to be nasty), we just need to be happy. It’s a contagious feeling and we all want to be around those that are vibrant life lovers so why not become one.

Next up – African drum class! Yep, I’m back in this one and LOVE it!

Franti-liscious

A gig I needed and felt to the core. Michael Franti has a way with me (& clearly many others) that tantalises my very centre of being. He brings heart, beauty, music and life to every performance. Yesterday started with sunrise at Bondi and ended with a teeth-filled grin that couldn’t be wiped from my face.

I’m not sure whether it was the onslaught of a lunar eclipse on Saturday night and the energy change that comes with that or the awareness of a past love, still very much in my heart, closer at range than has been for months, but this past week has been a fragile one for me. I needed a life force to reckon with my unsteady stance. Enter Michael Franti!

When a gig starts with an acoustic yoga session, includes a mosh dance mania and ends with the musician staying on for the closing radio music as he noticed the crowd continuing in an impromptu sing-along to Arrested Development’s “Everyday People”, you know you’re in good hands.

There’s a reason Michael Franti was one of my relationship ‘outs’. He exudes an energy that overwhelms and induces the heart to feel for everyone around you. I remember seeing him introduce his documentary, “I Know I’m Not Alone” at Sydney Uni years ago. He was standing on stage barefoot with his son wrapped around his legs as he explained why he created this film on the Middle East. I was in the front row and already knew his music with Spearhead but now saw his yearning to use his skills in music to delve into our interactions in the Middle East.

So he went over to Iraq, Palestine and Israel with very little plan, but his guitar and a camera crew. The result is beautiful and telling of a different side of the story from both the inhabitants of these lands as well as the military personnel involved. He was moved by both sides of the story, as was I.

What am I on about? I went to this gig on my own and was engulfed in those around me. It seems Franti has found his path to share what he knows and enrich lives. You can feel he's on the right track, while I have no false sense of perfection in his life. He told his story of adoption, life from a mixed race, and his adopted mother’s strength to raise fulfilling, honest and accepting adults. You’ve done a good job Carole!

There’s happiness and sadness everywhere around us. Taking the day and filling your cup with beauty is a treasure. I’m reminded again of our innate need for love and that comes in many different forms. For me today, it’s music, friends, and giving back that which I have to give.

Thank you to the beautiful people that passed through my life over the past week, filling it with happiness and love. And to those that I shared last night’s gig – bliss!

Today is another day and what I can do with this energy boost is still unclear but I’ll harness it, share my thoughts and embrace it! Maybe it’s time for another salt water swim – off to the beach.

Peace and love to all you hippy folk out there – “you make the beauty of the world”.

#MichaelFranti
#Soja
#allthefreakypeoplemakethebeautyoftheworld

The Dali Dilemma

I know, I promised updates, stories and news of adventure….then I dropped off the planet for a few months, but alas, I’ve been busy. No excuses, but here they are anyway: I got a new job, flew home to the States for the holidays on a whim’s notice, returned to start the new job, moved my stuff in from storage after 2 years and found a new flatmate – schwee, it’s allot, you must admit!

So yes, 2015 started with a bang and I’m not getting off the happy bandwagon anytime soon. As for today’s tale, I couldn’t decide which story to tell first so I’m publishing them both in combination as the “Dali Dilemma”.

What does that mean? Well if you know Dali (& WHO doesn’t know Dali?!), he can be described as a man with a very obscure way of looking at the world. Whether melting clocks, meshing multiple images into aligning frames, or even forecasting the Microsoft logo (check out the right side of the Lincoln piece), he is a genius. The ‘dilemma’ side of the story is whether to take a job for money or for meaning, which were my options at the end of 2014. Combining the two, you have a view into two different directions with multiple different outcomes. 

While I was in Florida, my Mum and I had a day at the Dali Museum (the largest collection of his works in the world; if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it). On this particular occasion, there was a special exhibit of Picasso and Dali which simply blew my mind. Both artists, although proven in their field, may not be everyone’s sip of whiskey. But if you see their early works, you know that these men mastered the traditional art forms before moving on to create their own space in time. 

Setting their works side by side, I was mesmerised even more so with Dali and his talent. Dali teetered in life on the brink of insanity yet his art manipulated minds and body to extreme awe of fashion. 

As for my dilemma of whether to take a job for money or meaning, it seems a more simplistic divergent than art or insanity but ultimately the act comes down to options. I gathered opinions galore as I travelled down the road of choices where some said, “Take the money and run!” and others pushed for where they knew my heart was tugging – meaning. 

We all strive to make meaning in our lives and for Dali that was creating masterpieces of art, for others it’s building a family, a few strive to protect our world, and for me, it’s still unknown. What I do know is that I took a year to step out of my life and I didn’t want to just step back in the same one on my return. I felt the red dirt between my toes, I etched the trees in my skin and I built a longing in my heart for something else. 

Dali manipulated a life of oddity, familial stress, and mental angst. In the end, he consistently chose to expand his dilemmas through art. He pushed through the confusion to create wonder and question normality which you can awe at the results for hours. I hope to create wonder in my life and always question what is normal.

A rather odd combination of stories, but alas, it is told. I tied a wish onto the Dali tree outside the exhibit that read, “To see life through new eyes in Dali fashion.” I hope to keep true to that guide. And I’m happy in my new job but will not stop striving for the absurdity of awe.