“This is the place. Time to get out.”
I looked out the window of the jeep. Craggy rocks, red,
towering mountains. I opened the door and hopped out.
towering mountains. I opened the door and hopped out.
Rocks crackled as the car
pulled away, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
pulled away, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
And here I was. Alone. Utterly alone in a vast, silent
desert. My only connection to the outside world was my cell phone, tucked into
my pocket. I checked the phone to make sure I had connection. One thin bar
flashed across my screen, a weak line out if I needed it.
desert. My only connection to the outside world was my cell phone, tucked into
my pocket. I checked the phone to make sure I had connection. One thin bar
flashed across my screen, a weak line out if I needed it.
Hands free. No heavy backpack this time. And no water. I felt as if I had been dropped onto Mars without oxygen. Or
perhaps like a heli skier does when the helicopter drops him on a mountaintop
into a world of pure, untouched nature.
perhaps like a heli skier does when the helicopter drops him on a mountaintop
into a world of pure, untouched nature.
Unlike a skier, I was not forging a new trail. I had the
comforting yellow, blue and white stripes of the Israel Trail markers to
follow.
comforting yellow, blue and white stripes of the Israel Trail markers to
follow.
I cradled the phone one more time, my lifeline to help if I
needed it, and started to run the trail.
needed it, and started to run the trail.
The sky was a deep blue, the air wintry
fresh, the silence so strong, it felt as if it were a roar. I breathed deeply and skipped along the path,
the only sound being the crunch of rock beneath my feet.
fresh, the silence so strong, it felt as if it were a roar. I breathed deeply and skipped along the path,
the only sound being the crunch of rock beneath my feet.
I love to run and I love running unencumbered, freestyle.
Without headphones in my ears and blasting music, it has become my form of
meditation.
Without headphones in my ears and blasting music, it has become my form of
meditation.
I was on this particular path to do a missing section of the
Israel National Trail. Having completed 900 km
of the 1,000 km trail over the past three years, I am intent on doing it all. Running
the trail all alone was a new variation as we usually hike slowly in a group laden with backpacks.
Israel National Trail. Having completed 900 km
of the 1,000 km trail over the past three years, I am intent on doing it all. Running
the trail all alone was a new variation as we usually hike slowly in a group laden with backpacks.
So today I felt free, exhilarated and a tiny bit scared.
This helped propel me forward through a barren wilderness reigned by
rocks.
This helped propel me forward through a barren wilderness reigned by
rocks.
Life offers few opportunities to be utterly alone, to be
surrounded by an empty silent expanse. I
wanted to breathe in the moment, to surrender to it and to heal from our modern
world’s overload, tragedies and mess.
surrounded by an empty silent expanse. I
wanted to breathe in the moment, to surrender to it and to heal from our modern
world’s overload, tragedies and mess.
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I know that if I do not make space for this, I will be swept
up by it.
up by it.
And so I run. Because this is
the place.
the place.
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