White sand rolls over the hills until it meets infinity. Golden rays of the rising sun slide along the slopes. The sheer beauty of the scenery leaves me speechless. Time stops. The sound of silence echoes through the air. As I stroll over the extended dunes, I feel my perspective expanding as well. The concept of myself I cultivated at home becomes limitless. Self-doubt disappears into the sand. What remains is the clear sense of knowing who I am at my core and where I stand in the world. My sense of happiness does not depend on what I do. Whichever direction I take, I will be content with my life that is an expression of my values.
The feeling of expansion and gut sense of knowing stay with me as I hike through the forest 8,000 feet above sea level. The mountain ridge lined with Ponderosa Pines stretches over the obstacles I thought I was facing. I realize I was the only one standing in my way. That person is now surrendering to the force greater than the small me. I climb up to the lookout tower at 9,000 feet elevation. The autumn breeze and drifting clouds invite me to go with the flow too. The 360-degree horizon envelops and lifts me to a further height. There is no way to fall back. By leaving home, we often arrive at the home of our souls. We expand our horizons and discover ourselves in the wilderness.
"Make each day a new horizon." – Christopher McCandless