It was a quick event, far short of an epic adventure. It took longer to drive there than it did to walk the trails.
In a quest to capture some Christmas spirit I signed up for a Meetup hike through DaytonHikers.org at a local MetroPark: A Luminary Walk at Aullwood Garden.
On arrival I met up with the group and for a while we stood in the parking lot, shuffling our feet and chatting. People introduced themselves and mingled. I knew some of the hikers but not all, my hiatus from hiking has kept me away while the group has added and subtracted members.
At the designated time we headed into the park and walked along pathways cleverly lined with plastic milk jugs lit with candles inside. Pitch black otherwise, we walked and talked and traded stories. After a short while we found ourselves next to the Aullwood house where MetroPark rangers and volunteers were serving cookies and hot chocolate.
A quick tour of the first floor of this quaint house, a short history lesson, and we were on our way back to the cars. The original group had splintered into many, and as we found our way back to the cars we had our brief "nice to meet you" and "see you again soon" comments and before I knew it I was back on the freeway headed home.
So why is this short little trip even a part of Reboot, Select Adventure?
It was a good reminder that simple things are important too. A conversation with someone you have never met before. A hot cup of cocoa standing next to a fire burning in a drum. A chance encounter with someone you know who came late but caught up. Watching the kids dashing about, excited about a night out in the woods. A ranger with an expertly told tale about the history of the house and the grounds that momentarily takes you back in time.
It reminded me that in the long run adventures are about people. People you know and people you have yet to meet. What is an adventure without a tale to tell? What good is a tale without someone to tell it to? Plus it was just plain fun. We all were laughing. We all were playing. We all enjoyed a simple night out.
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