All The Outdoor Things
Solo Female Camping Trip To The Ouachita Mountains.
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A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a last minute solo camping trip to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. I'd done a contract job for two months in Arkansas about 10 years ago but it's really only been in the last few years that I've discovered what a great place the Natural State is for a lot of the outdoor activities I like to do. Last year I went on a mountain biking trip in the Bentonville area and loved it. I knew half way through that trip that I would be back to keep exploring more of the state.
Flash forward about a year and I was loading up my Subaru once again to go and explore a new area. I love camping with my dog and I love camping with friends but every now and then it's nice to hit the road with just a few items for myself and go. I was feeling the need to keep things simple and have a few to days to myself to enjoy the solitude and the quiet the mountains can provide. I took my smallest tent, backpacking sleeping pad, my bike, a few camp cooking essentials and not much else. It felt really great to be traveling so light with only the items I needed for the next four days. I left early on a Sunday morning before the sun came up, coffee in hand, and within the first 30 minutes I could already feel my anxious heart beat start to settle.
I'd never been to the Ouachitas or Petit Jean State Park... they're beautiful. The lakes and rivers and waterfalls, the geology of the area is just incredible and unexpected. That's something I've started to learn over the last year as I've visited more places around our country. The unexpected natural gems I didn't know existed. I'm learning that the worthwhile mountain views and beautiful waterfalls aren't limited to the bigger more popular spots like Colorado, Montana and Washington. You can find them in every state, sometimes closer to the place you call home than you think. Growing up in south Texas I always thought New Mexico was the fastest and best place to go to for my mountain fix. I had no idea that this beautiful landscape existed right next door in another neighboring state.
I woke up early that first morning at camp and got the coffee brewing before the sun hit the sky. Slowly moving around my campsite, I arranged a few things, cooked breakfast and then sat down in my chair to enjoy the morning. My coffee was still steaming when I looked up and saw the sun start to move through the trees. I swear to you I physically felt my heart beat slow again. There was a small creek running behind my site, the birds were singing... it was damn right magical. There had been no Sunday scaries the night before and no Monday morning panic or anxiety to work through. I just sat there smiling like the cat that ate the canary. My mind was nowhere but at that campsite, drinking coffee and watching the sun come up on a Monday morning in the mountains.
I spent the next four days hiking, biking and taking as many photos as I could. I rested at camp enjoying the silence and had lunch down by the lake. I moved at whatever pace felt good and slept better than I have in a long time. I am very aware of what a luxury an experience like this is. What a luxury the time to sit and have a quiet morning with no expectations is. And it's addictive. I want more mornings like this. I want more mornings like this for everyone. Now I know that sitting in a camp chair on a cold morning in the mountains is not everyone's idea of luxury and renewal, lol. So I guess what I'm saying is, I wish for all of you to have that same feeling I had the first morning at camp. In whatever way that looks like for you. I wish for you, All The Things that bring you joy and peace and the luxury of sitting calmly in the morning with no expectation of what the day may bring.
