Together we have hiked thousands of miles. During that time, we’ve learned a lot about each other and ourselves. Some hikes have turned out a bit disastrous, mostly because we were not attuned to our own or the other’s needs. But when we are aligned, the feeling is amazing.

And honestly, everything we learn about marriage while we’re hiking is really just lessons for life, for work, for living. And some of these are not easy, prob they are life long lessons.

So here goes, lessons learned from hiking while married:

1. Discomfort does not necessarily need to be tended to immediately>> we can have discomfort and just redirect our attention and keep going.
2. Pay attention to baggage>> if you are carrying too much, then everything else feels harder.
3. Lots of people dread the uphills, but most injuries happen on downhills>> both ups and downs have joys and challenges.
4. Small words of encouragement have big impact>> when the going gets tough, affirmations keep us going.
5. Pacing matters>> Who leads and when? and how fast/slow each of us needs to be going. Sometimes we wait when we don’t want to. Other times, we are being dragged. Attending to your pace and your partner’s makes for a more enjoyable walk overall.
6. Look up >> Yes, there are rocks and other obstacles on the trail that make us want to look down to make sure we don’t fall. BUT we miss so much if we don’t look up.
7. Chit chat >> Sometimes talking isn’t really about what’s being said. Chatter can be indicative of anxiety or stress or it can just be enjoyment of the moment. But being present is a quiet lesson to be learned.

I’m sure there are many more, but this is what we could think of. As we prepare to start our next 100 miles together, we will def put all these to the test!