New Experiences

As I venture forth into this new phase of my life, I am opening myself up to new experiences...moreso than before and with more intensity and purpose. I'm more determined to "try things at least once"...simply because I can. Through the years, I do feel that I've stayed true to that- whether it pertained to food, music, clothes, and such, but more recently, I've opened myself to experiencing new things and meeting new people.

This past Saturday, I went hiking. Hiking! Now, if ya'll know me, you know that MnM is so NOT the outdoorsy type. I'm not one to lace up my shoes and walk over loose-rock terrain, up, down, and around a freakin' mountain trail for two hours. I've never had the desire to sweat it out with the hot sun beating down on me...not to mention knowing about the countless number of creepy crawly bugs and God knows what else that may be lurking among the brush. But hey, it's something that I've never done before. The weather across the bridge has almost always been so much nicer...plus, I kept hearing the "don't knock it 'til you try it" mantra that I, myself, am always spouting out. I figured that all I had to do was focus- stay on the trail, try not to bust my ass, don't look over the steep edge, and pray that no mountain lions or rattlesnakes decide to grace us with its presence. Other than that, I should be good.

Across the Golden Gate Bridge and heading up towards Mt. Tamalpais is Muir Beach. From what BruthaMan has told me, he's actually run this coastal trail and this very trail is used for certain marathons. Let me just say for the record that the trail that I hiked took me approximately an hour and a half...one way, mind you...probably way too much time for the avid hiker. But seeing that this was my first time, I was in major need to stop every so often to catch my breath and to drink some water. And oh yes, to take some pictures of the breathtaking scenery! Here are some pics from the day...


The view from the top of Muir Beach...this was basically the starting point of our hike.



Just one of the many trails that I walked. Many were this wide (enough for two people to walk side by side), but there were parts where the path narrowed and I did my best to walk as far from the edge as possible.



After about an hour and a half, we ended up at Tennessee Valley Beach which included a nervous trek down a very rocky steep grade. Once at the bottom, you're greeted by a beach area strewn with seaweed (inhale it!), huge boulders, and ultimately, a place to rest and relax.



Just past those fallen branches, it's a steep hike up the rocks and boulders.


Here's a map of the trail. Notice the "You Are Here" dot location and to where we ended. Can I just say that I'm DAMN PROUD for making my way to and from, up and down, all around, and back...and yes, all in one piece!



Ultimately, I honestly didn't think that I had it in me. MnM has been out of shape for way too long, but I am in the process of changing that. During the trek, I could feel all sorts of muscles in my legs working, but at the end of the day, the soreness that I felt was a good sore. I'm actually looking forward to doing this again...now that I know that I can somewhat handle it, I know what to expect.

'Twas a very good day...