Flashback to Isle Royale.
An island in the middle of Lake Superior, 3.5 hours away by ferry from the Michigan shore and entirely protected as a National Park. No cars, just hikers and paddlers, and no infrastructures except for some camping shelters (quite the game changer) and pit toilets. Water and pine forests everywhere, and islands on lakes on the island... so meta of nature. A more or less bearable amount of bugs, depending on weather, wind, dragonflies and quite honestly luck.
Along the way, some awesome, like-minded fellow hikers I would have probably never met in any other circumstances given our differences in background, age or experience - and yet, common values and real connections, be it for a few minutes or a few hours.
And all the moose. Gracing me with their presence in the lake by the campground I had for myself that night... quite magical.
The 4 days of hiking weren’t that intense all things considered (slight bruises from the backpack on the hips become a badge of honor and the proof you’ve deserved this slice of preserved nature) and the views were not the most spectacular I’ve ever seen, but the remoteness of the place, the sense of loneliness (in a very good way) while feeling part of a community, and being in touch with nature reminded me how humbling it is to get close to wilderness and how it resets the mind.
#myepicamericanroadtrip