Finding my way to wanderweg :)

Finding my way to wanderweg :)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

On your mark, get set ... GO! (start of the blog gun)

Here comes my first ever blog post, woah baby! I feel like a bit of an introduction to the title of the blog should come first then...so, here is the first of many stories I hope to share on this blog, yay :)

Wanderweg...
On my first ever trip abroad to Europe, in 2010, I landed in Zurich to say with a friend (Mirjam) of a friend (Isabelle). It was a perfect way to start a trip...follow her around a bit and go for a run. I went for a run from the univerisity and headed up towards the highest point I could find. I first made my own way to the top and then started developing a nice course on the way down and see the other side of the hill - trying not to get lost and keep my eye on the trail signs I encountered, as to find a way back to my start point. Not long down the trail, I found a sign that said 'Wanderweg' and I thought ok, cool, maybe I can follow this sign and keep headed towards this place. Nice diamond yellow signs helped lead me towards a bigger intersection that had multiple signs and was a bit crazily organized for a foreign traveler, and I had already run plenty far for that day, so I decided to turn back and weave my continuing 'Wanderweg' route and somehow mananged to get back to exactly where I started. I have some kind of nature for knowing my position even though I have no map and no big picture context of where I am going. I usually take the long way or the hard way, but without a doubt I usually end up coming into a view of something just from a different angle - usually from a different side of the view I started with. Either way, I found my way, though I would have like to make it to 'Wanderweg'...

Later that afternoon, my friend took me to a nice place for a snowy hike up to a lookout tower on the outskirts of town. We took tram and then train and the bus and headed for one of the last possible public connections - and when we got off the bus (middle of nowhere) I saw a sign up the path (diamond and yellow), hmm...as we approached the sign I got up the courage to ask my friend "um, where is Wanderweg?" which was followed with an abnormally long pause and a silly look of 'what do I say to that? this girl is crazy'. Mirjam then proceeded to explain that wanderweg was certainly not a place or a destination, better yet, it was the translation for 'hiking trail' or 'wandering path'...we then were in histerics the rest of our very much needed and wild adventure in its own way, including my first and so far, only Rivella and very little energy and crazy cold as we found our lost way (although following the wanderweg ;) and eventually getting to a bus stop and a bus with heaters, just laughing at my thoughts helped us get through the day.

From this trip and this specific story, I now obviously know what wanderweg means, but I also get a nice smile and laugh on my face when I see the signs (which is very often, since I have been traveling to Switzerland quite a lot in the last couple years, and it is my country of choice).

I am describing this story to others and continue to develop new questions...
- would you like to go to wanderweg?
- don't worry, we are on the way, we are headed to wards wanderweg!
- have you been to wanderweg?
- I am headed towards wanderweg.
- let's go to wanderweg
- where in the world is wanderweg?
- I want to go to wanderweg.
- excuse me, how do I get to wanderweg?
- etc. (this list could probably entertain your brain for awhile - it has mine :)

I find that this is a wonderful concept for me, especially lately. I am working on my professional career and also trying to pursue my athletic career and trying to balance a full on, all in approach. I am definitely on my way to my 'wanderweg'. I am understanding that it is a process and that all processes are meant for reasons. We must learn something from each situation and take it with us for the next part of the journey. I am on my journey of finding myself and who I am and my place in this world. I have big ideas and big dreams and I know I am making my own path and developing my own route that makes it my life and my journey. I think I will mainly share adventure and race stories on the blog, but maybe also some life experiences or topics in need of some venting.

So, here is to finding my wanderweg! Welcome to my usually wild and crazy type of lifestyle and adventurous spirit :) I aim to entertain and update as much as my schedule may allow!

Come on, let's go to wanderweg...
Sarah