Down by the River

So my roommate Lauren and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather by going for an adventure in the woods surrounding Hubbard Park in Milwaukee. Everything is still pretty gloomy, but branches are finally covered in buds, so I'm eager for those to bloom! The first thing I did was climb a hollowed out tree. I only climbed about 10 ft up, but there was still a nice sight of the river from it. We found a few toppled trees hanging out over the river which we carefully scaled.

 

What was so foreign to me had nothing to do with exploring or the terrain, I've always done things like this, it was this sensation I had in the pit of my stomach as we crossed these logs, or when I got to the top of that hollowed out tree. It was a nervousness I'd never experienced before. As a kid, exploring with my cousins, I was an absolute dare devil. I felt invincible, always. I wasn't afraid to climb anything, ride my bike off something. I had never been fearful of the injury that would almost certainly result, and for that matter, I don't think any negative thoughts ever crossed my mind. I LOVE that confidence, that genuine reckless explorer spirit that I had. Whatever happened to it, I won't know. I can't tell what in the world made me recognize my mortality, or make me question my safety enough to make my knees quiver. Maybe it's a part of maturing. Whatever it is, I don't like it. While I want to be conscious of my health and safety, I cannot let something like nervousness effect my exploration. It's too much fun.

Notable points of our adventure:

A message in a bottle!

  Hobo Tent!

Some life in the gray woods!

Honorable Mentions:
We found a giant oar that has been dubbed apartment decor and a dead raccoon that scared the bahjesus out of us.