Service (#29)

Helping others move forward

After nearly an hour of driving, I reached the edge of the state park. I parked the car, slipped on my weighted backpack, and opened the AllTrails app. The hiking trail was a moderate 1.8-mile loop. I navigated to the trailhead and started walking.

Within the first 30 minutes, I’d made a thrilling descent amongst stones and tree roots followed by a punishing climb. The 20 pounds on my back grew heavier with every step. The map showed I was progressing. AllTrails claimed the loop would take 90 minutes to complete. In my head, I’d already completed the first third.

Then about 15 minutes later, it happened.

I was halfway through the hike, deep in the woods, standing at the lowest elevation on the loop when my iPhone signal died. The location marker froze and placed me miles away from the trail. The woods felt quiet and impenetrable in that way they do when you suddenly realize you don’t know exactly where you are.

Thankfully, I had downloaded the map.

Less thankfully, I hadn’t actually studied it.

I misread turns. I trusted instincts I hadn’t honed. A couple of times, I ignored the trail entirely because the direction “felt” right. By the time I finally committed to following the map instead of my confidence, I had walked 2.8 miles just to complete the 1.8-mile loop.

Eventually, I was back at my car, unloading the weight from my shoulders and thinking about how easily a simple walk becomes something else when you’re unprepared.

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The Shape of Service

Someone had walked this trail long before I did, and they hadn’t just left footprints. They had left guidance: quiet, intentional choices embedded in the map. The