Creep City, Part Two

Today I went for a looooong hike, and I've decided to make a habit of it. My three goals, which I've been trying to fit into some cute name or other, are EXploration, EXercise, and, um, PHotography. I think this will be my new hobby/way to keep myself out of trouble. Unfortunately, the photography part still costs money, otherwise it would also be a great way to spend my time without spending money (I'm hoping I can get my negs processed and put on CD only for not too much). It doesn't take long to shoot through a whole roll of film -- I figure I can do 1.5-2 rolls per trip if I'm not careful.

Today, among other places, I went back to where I was yesterday, more or less, but I started at the bottom instead of the top of the bluff. I found more "caves," if you can call them that -- hollowed-out areas maybe 8-10' deep, not interesting at all. But I found the other approach at least, and now I know that the possible entrance I found yesterday is pretty inaccessible by automobile, hence safe to enter... But I still need to go back with others! I'm hoping my brother will go. Did I mention I researched Lillydale Park after yesterday and found out it's supposed to be haunted? Glad I didn't know that then -- I didn't go very far up that way today.

I found another non-scary cool place. There's this gully sort of area that my lovely scenic road (hwy. 13, which I think is aka Lillydale road) overpasses, which I've wished before I could stop and look at. Well, I got all the way up there (higher than my house) from the bottom, much of the way off trail, to find a nice little waterfall. It was about a 2 hour hike, and I ran out of film early on, so I was actually moving at as fast a pace as the terrain would allow most of that time. It's so rewarding to venture off the path and find something unexpected! I should clarify that I wouldn't have gone all the way to the falls if I hadn't passed some people coming from it who told me about it. But I learned a vaulable lesson: always follow creeks uphill. I should also clarify that after a couple minutes at the fall I looked up the other direction and saw several condos overlooking me >:P That sucked, but I tried to ignore them, and hoped they were ignoring me.

I also realized something about myself: I love to be alone. I do love to spend time with my friends and family, but walking alone today, I realized I didn't want anyone with me and wouldn't have had nearly as much fun if I had. I love the prospect of a whole weekend to myself. If I didn't feel social pressures (not wanting to look like a freaky loner loser), I would probably isolate myself completely. Which isn't a good thing, and it's not that I don't like my friends, it's just a conscious effort to make the move to get together with them on my part. Which is why I've been making more of an effort to make and keep new friends. But it's interesting. I've known people -- my ex-roommate and friends of his, for example -- who simply cannot be alone. They'll spend time with someone they don't really care for (i.e. me) before they'll spend an afternoon by themselves. They've openly admitted that and clearly think I'm weird when I want to be alone. That's so far from me it's hard to understand -- I've realized how much more contented and myself I am when I live alone than when I'm around people all the time, enough that I think that in iteslf should be considered prescription medication, and my insurance shouldreally help support my solitary living. At least give me the price of Prozac to apply toward my monthly rent.

Of course, all this isn't to say that I don't get lonely, or that I've never found myself wanting to go out and depressed because no one was around, or that I don't mean it when I do want to get together with my friends. But sometimes I notice that they're the ones who call me more often, and it's just contentedness with the status quo on my part, not an affront to them.

Oh, I still like my cats. And the only people I could think of having with me on my hike who would have improved my lovely afternoon were Scout and Bella, my two favorite dogs. I'm thinking of seeing if I can borrow one of them next time.