Trail-Setting Gone Right/Wrong

 

It's Trail-setting o'clock! I was up early, right before it started raining cats and dogs which I absolutely love. I've been praying for rain, and when it came, I quickly flung my window open to soak in the freshness. My royal highness (aka Moori, my cat) and I were chilling on my prayer mat, me feeling all spiritual, and Moori pretending to meditate.

Then reality hit: it was time to get ready. We were supposed to meet at Apo Shoprite by 6:45 a.m. and take off at 7:00 a.m. But guess who decided to give me a surprise visit? A running stomach. I guess nature loves drama. After a brief but intense negotiation with my intestines, I fed Queen Moori (because motherhood means feeding your royal child) and dashed out of the house like Super Mario on a mission.

I had already delayed my crew shoutout to Sir Jossie, Ovo, Hercule, Sugar, and Blessing for waiting for me. Blame it on nature, guys. I apologized, and we zoomed off to Wassa, a locality at Apo that I would probably never visit in my life if not for the thrill of finding new trails. The 15-minute drive felt like a countdown to an adventure.

We parked by a customary court (nothing like a little legal security), strapped on our hiking gear, and exchanged greetings. Miss Otes shared her Swan Walk Challenge story, and the terrible incident that happen on one of her walk. After some debating about which mountain to tackle, we set off, trailblazers with dreams.

A military checkpoint tried to steal our vibe, but Adventure Lord handled the talks while we scoped for the best path. We crossed a bubbly river with all the grace of ninjas. The terrain was gorgeous, the air crisp, and our spirits high.

Hercule joked about the absence of cashew fruits, and we laughed. The mountain ahead loomed like a challenge, but that’s the thing about hiking it’s a beautiful mix of problem-solving and surrender.

Ovo surprised us with a little spirit (yes, the drinking kind). Cheers to adventure! As we climbed, we saw abandoned buildings, herdsmen, and farmers. One farmer warned us about a wild animal up there, but he couldn’t describe it, and he didn’t know the English name. Did that scare us? Nope. Curiosity turned up another notch.

We hiked on, navigating nature and a patchy network, which tried to ruin my online class moderation but couldn’t steal my vibe. We scaled the first mountain like pros and then aimed for the main one. Sugar and Otes might have been having second thoughts, but the view was a sweet reward. Mountains, God’s own accessories for the Earth.

Peruzzi found a flatter, scenic spot, and I dropped in shukr sujud (gratitude bow) for making it that far. We feasted on vegetable soup, cake, and laughter. But then two men with cutlasses showed up, and they weren’t fans of our adventure. They warned us of kidnappers in the mountains, and suddenly, our scenic hike felt like a survival movie.

After some tense back and forth, we decided to leave, with them keeping an eagle eye on. We got back to our cars, hearts racing but grateful for safety.

Will I visit Wassa again? Highly unlikely. Apo might just be our cursed compass Elder even mentioned they had a similar experience four years ago.

But gratitude overflowed gratitude for safety, for the beauty of nature, for friends who waited, and for the random skill of understanding other languages. Sometimes, that skill is a blessing, other times a curse I mean, you end up eavesdropping on people’s loud conversations without trying.

Back home, Moori, my fluffy therapist, was thrilled to see me. She did her happy roll, I gave her royal pets, and we both napped like queens. After that, I caught up with my chores.

But reflecting on the day, I realized it wasn't just about adventure. It was a journey of gratitude for friends who wait, for nature's unpredictable beauty, for the thrill of the unknown, and for the comfort of coming home. Every misstep became a memory, every laugh a moment to cherish.

Grateful for adventure, for safety, for laughter, and for always finding my way home.