Nurturing my sole

Wednesday, July 14
Nurturing happiness in my soul


In Park city Utah I was asked “what have I learned”.
The question was asked in an art gallery, and I can tell she was looking for a response containing depth of thought. I was not prepared for such a question especially since it was asked with so much empathy by her and interest expressed for the answer. Simple facts were not being sought, facts like the Uintas are the longest East West mountain range in the U.S., or a pair of tennis shoes lasts 500 miles depending on soil type.


Her request necessitates a personal response, something more, something deeper. I didn’t have a good quick answer for her at the time. What did I learn about myself? Struggling to give the lady a good short response, I just said what an unusual question I have not been asked this. I also said it was a good question and my next hiking section I will think about it. I spent the entire 150 miles in the Uintas thinking about this question and it remain unanswered. I came up with some ideas that felt fabricated just to satisfy the question, but these fabrications do not come from the heart. The response is something that needs to rise up from within and cause emotions to flow over my body, a fast impulse feeling, a response that drives my spirit of adventure.


Two weeks later after this question was asked, I found myself walking through Dinosaur National Monument. I was struggling with the heat, fly bites, the weight of a pack bearing more water than one should normally carry. I felt myself struggling to walking down the wide untraveled monument road. Then glanced at an unambiguous yellow and white rock about the size of my fist on the side of the road, looking particularly at the colors and texture. I felt an impulse of joyous emotion and happiness quickly build. It tensed up my chest, breathing increased, the feeling welled up to my throat and I left my body in the form of cries of joy exuding out, for all animals in my surrounding to hear. Yes I had a wonderful cry of joy. These were and are my emotions of happiness. I learned that a long walking journey like I am on even though it’s physically hard and difficult brings my soul happiness.


When I was a kid I always wanted to have an original idea, something nobody ever thought of before. The Four Corners Loop I feel satisfies the original idea concept. I never felt I could truly have an original idea but I do feel like this idea dreamed up by me results and a happy soul.


The day I saw the geographic feature on the elevation profile map of the nation, I merely said wow look at that somebody needs to walk that geographic circle of high mountains, and I decided it would be me. So yes what I’ve learned is I do get soul happiness through doing the tough challenges I give myself. Whether it is hiking for 2,400 miles in a circle, or digging a perfectly straight trench for electrical wires in my backyard for a future electric car.


I really appreciate the question I was given an Park City Utah, I will do more thinking about it, but for now I have succeeded and feel will always succeed in nurturing my sole with happiness through my physical hard work in whatever form it takes. Currently it is taking the form of a circle the Four Corners Loop.


Thank you for reading,
Kevin Koski
“The Animal”