Happily Lost

He could hear it echoing out through the trees and into the valley below. Loud and proud. Her laughter. Standing out against the noises of mother nature. Over the birds calling to one another, the rushing water of distant falls, the wind skating over the top of the bluffs, just barely tickling the tops of the trees. Managing to demand attention. Rising above everything else.

It brought a smile to his face.

It was infectious. Boisterous. Had no desire to be held back. It was perfect.

When they had both started the hike, there was no plan. No end point. No particular path to follow. Just a spur of the moment decision to follow one of the trails up the hill. They were merely tourists to the area - there to soak in all the beauty. Absorb what they could from such a pristine place. And so they had. Beginning each day at sun up and only retiring back to their site when the last bit of light had disappeared - making the trails too dangerous to venture.

At the beginning of the trip, as he was loading the car and packing his things, he had a slight concern about camping with a woman. He had faith in her love of the outdoors - she had proven it before, but he was curious about what would transpire. How adventurous they could be, if the days would be filled with rigorous hiking or if they'd mosey around the campsite and take in most of the scenery from within the car - exploring on four wheels.

He couldn't have been more wrong. She was there to get dirty. Explore. Bask in the glory of the outdoors. She had been a complete bundle of joy. Eager to get out into the woods and start a new adventure each and every day. She disregarded trail signs, venturing off, determined to get closer to the waterfalls. She climbed up on large boulders to get a better view of the valley, even sitting on a overhang, letting her feet dangle off the edge - totally immersed. There were moments where he'd have to stop to catch his breath, only to look up and see her still bounding up the trail, as if the steep incline and sweltering heat somehow didn't affect her. He was impressed. Sometimes speechless.

She was a machine.

But most importantly - she did it all with a smile on her face. That large, welcoming grin. Not only that, but she'd make him laugh. Giving him a hard time whenever he stumbled on a root or needed to sit along the edge of the trail. Ribbing him the entire way. And throughout it all, he couldn't be more happy. It was balm for is soul. Out in the middle of the woods - the place he cherrished so much, with the person that meant the world to him. He felt at ease. That everything was finally alright. Because he didn't need to try. And neither did she. They just existed with one another.

When he did finally snap out of his reflection, he realized he was alone on the trail. She was nowhere to be seen. In front of behind. He wondered how long he must have been thinking, oblivious to her continuing along. For a split second he could feel the worry tingling deep down in his gut, but that was erased as soon as he heard her laughter off in the distance. And as he was pulling he backpack up over his shoulders, he saw here up ahead, standing on a rock, waving frantically for him to catch up.

Continuing on up the hill, he picked up his pace slightly, eager to make it to her - hoping that this adventure would never end.