The longer the trail,

the more distant our troubles become.

We gain a new perspective on our existence,

and we begin to notice troubles that aren't real.

The morning alarm is not a useful invention,

it is not even healthy.

The job that pushed us into positions,

that are not what we wanted, goes away.

All those things that seem so crazy to give up,

become replaced with the soft trail beneath our feet.

Worries about bears or mountain lions,

all of a sudden become our biggest worry.

We open our eyes,

to check if we can catch a glimpse of a flying squirrel, or an owl.

We synchronize with the sunrise and the sunset,

and after a few weeks, the toxic stress begins leaving our body.

And then you notice your health,

the rays of the sun, the fragrance of the pine trees.

And then it happens,

it occurs to you like a storm occurs to a great lake.

Everyone has always pushed you into places that you didn't want to go,

and to survive that strange life, you almost became somebody other than you really are.

It makes you a little bit angry,

and a little bit sad, and plenty scared.

The trails,

bring you back to the Magnificent Human that you really are.

First they bring back your health, and your balance,

they wash away your stress, you begin eating the right amounts of food.

Your muscles awaken, extra fat burns up,

and your back stop hurting, you become more bouncy.

You are being restored,

you are healing.

An you slow down to match the speed of your heartbeat,

and the sun, and the moon, and all the stars.

And you curiosity returns,

it feels so good.

On your way back from a quick re-supply trip,

you notice more things, a used book store, an antique store.

And you find yourself looking for Robinson Crusoe,

maybe a notepad, there are bits of sand in all you pockets, you brush it away from the counter, as you pay.

Chipmunks, you discover that chipmunks make sounds,

that seagulls are incredibly silly.

And you GRUMBLE,

never again.

It is hard to describe what it means,

never again will you let other people push you into what they need yo to be.

To make their own lives easier,

or just for no reason at all.

Eventually, in a matter of months,

maybe a couple of years, you become full of nature, and it will never leave you.

The trails, the beaches, the sands,

the warmth of the ocean, the songs that little frogs sing become part of you.

---

When you return to the city,

what things come next, build on top of your health, and un-breakable completeness.

It is no longer possible for you to sway for others,

just of of your own natural density, dignity, nobility, authenticity, insight, and great health.

It won't take you long to figure out where things went wrong,

a lot of the people in authority were using you, lying to you.

You were young, and got used to being this blurry version of yourself,

because you listened to what everyone was telling you.

Now you have unshakable integrity,

you are cheerful.

From the hundreds and hundreds of books you've read or listened to,

since that sandy expedition to the used book store; you have inherited lifetimes of wisdom.

What once seemed impossible becomes natural to you,

you become a writer, artist, musician, story teller, great adventurer.

Books are written on many subjects,

Astrophysics, Quantum Physics, Astrobiology, Philosophy, these represent a second level of knowledge.

One that is above painting, or composing music,

you discover new challenges, new curiosities.

And probably, worry about others who walk on a path that is not their own,

you emerge an urge to help a world grow.

You want to spare others,

what you went through.

---

Which brings me to the short answer,

you were looking for.

The Journey has fueled countless stories and myths,

sometimes the myths feature mazes that represent getting lost.

Sometimes, there are dragons or strange monsters,

that represent trouble or a call to courage, or leadership.

Sometimes it is a mystical treasure that the adventurer seeks,

only to discover that it wasn't some magical chalice or sword.

The magical chalice represented the transformation on the quest,

and the superpowers, were all the powers we already had, but never used before.

That wise being of the mountain,

is never a person that you meet up there.

The Wise Being,

is the wisest you.

The discovery you make on the trail,

is You.