A Little Positivity, Please

This post has a pretty long preface, so hang on.

Last summer Jason and I took a trip to a small area of the Allegheny mountain range here in West Virginia, known as Canaan Valley. Jason grew up vacationing there with his family, but it was my first trip. Driving through the various winding roads that seem to be the only way to get from Point A to Point B, even if it's only 3 miles, we marveled and took in the beauty of it all. We discussed how much we enjoy living in the mountains, but that it would be an even greater experience to visit the terrains in the western part of the country. That's when Jason proposed an unconventional vacation, mostly because of financial restrictions. A backpacking trip in the mountains.

Initially, I was sternly opposed to the idea. There was no way an indoor girl like me was going to spend a week pretending to be homeless, with the worry of being eaten by bears to boot. Backpacking was reserved for only the most free-spirited hippies, and that my friend, is not me. After a while, though, I realized that this is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. How many young people have the time and resources to experience such a challenging, out-of-your-element, amazing trip such as this?

 I considered my safety. Jason has backpacked before; he spent about a month in the Sierra Nevada Mountains alone. (And I must admit, that was one thing that initially attracted me to him, so that must say something about my adventurous personality, right?) So he's gotta know a thing or two about survival. I considered my sanity. Could I make it 5 to 6 days without a real shower, and using the "bathroom" in the woods? It was hard to answer this one, but I decided that if women before the 19th century could do it, so could I. I also considered my health. Could I physically walk for 10 to 15 miles, for 5 to 6 days, with 20+ lbs on my back? It would take some preparation, but I was confident I would make it.

Did you notice a trend in the last paragraph? I have trust in my husband, faith in myself, and confidence in my abilities. So why am I receiving so much negativity about our attempt at an nontraditional vacation? Sure, I understand that some people are just concerned for our safety, such as our parents. That is completely reasonable. I am talking about the coworkers, friends, and family members (yeah, I'm calling you out) who flat out tell us we are stupid for doing this. So far, Jason and I will come back (if we come back) hairless, blind, diseased, divorced paraplegics. That would be quite a sight!

 It makes me wonder, where did these peoples' sense of adventure and thrill of the unknown go? As much as it hurts me to have little support from them, it almost hurts as much to think of how narrow minded they have become. Or maybe they always have been, and I'm seeing it for the first time.

Ok, I have to tie a Christian lesson into this. God never told us that life would be easy. And he never guaranteed safety for us. What he did COMMAND us to do, though, is go to all ends of the earth, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. If that's not dangerous, I don't know what is. And if we aren't ready to give it all up for Him, we will never experience God as he intended us to. I am hoping this trip will prepare me for what dangerous plans God has for me in the future. And I couldn't be more excited about it.

The date and location are set. Glacier National Park, August 2011. Pray for us, but don't worry for us. We are going, with or without your negativity.