While Hiking with 24-year Old Legolas, @ChitungaC, I Realized How Grateful I Truly Am For All That He Has Brought to My World

Saturday night we built a fire, using all the wood from the tree branches I cut down that have sat for the past month to dry out. Yesterday, I asked, "Want to go for a hike," and Chitunga quickly suggested Sleeping Giant in Hamden, across from Quinnipiac University.  He's hiked there several times but I have not.

He's approaching 25, and I am having all types of flashbacks of me at that age, with my long hair, my road races, and my hikes at the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve and Jefferson Memorial Forest. Actually, back then I billed myself as a naturalist, and with my Nike hiking boots, kids and teachers in tow, it was normal for me to climb and lead 25-30 miles of trekking a week. I absolutely loved being outdoors, walking trails, learning wildflowers, naming trees, and getting comfortable with landscapes.

Actually, I was hired by the City of Louisville at age 25 to be a full-time naturalist and I accepted the position, until 36 hours laters when Ron Freeman offered me a position at the Brown. I was lucky that Barbie Bruker-Corwin understood my decision to leave the Louisville Nature Center, because I had interned with her for several years while earning my Masters. It made sense that I took the naturalist job for just a few short days, before heading into the classroom.

And bring back yesterday. I know that Chitunga has taken to the outdoor world and last summer my greatest memory was when he shared with me his weekend cottage in the Adirondacks, a friendly gesture from a man he interned with. It was stunning. He often takes off to go hiking and more recently spent time in the Catskills. It never occurred to me before to ask, "Hey, can I go, too?"

I'm not sure how far we went, but I know we were out for a few hours.

I also know that Chitunga is part Elvin and I'm pretty sure he was trained by Legolas in the Lord of the Rings. Either that, or he's very connected with the Ents, because he flies across rocks, branches, trails, and trees. He's quick. I kept thinking, "Okay, all those years I hiked daily, and I was lighter and younger, did I move like that?" Then I wrestled, "Is it becomes my legs are taller that I can't glide along the trail like he does? Am I now old? Is it supposed to hurt this much?"

He moved. And it was impressive. And I loved every second of it.

We took a yellow trail out and decided on an orange trail back to the car. The trouble is, although he was a good 200 yards ahead of me all the way, somehow on the orange trail, I couldn't see his shirt up ahead. This resulted in me going off trail some, and then finding myself on the red trail, which was basically climbing rocks up, and then climbing rocks down, for a good hour. I ended up on a highway somewhere, and then walked towards the University, where I found him already rested, dried of, and relaxed. He needed the key to the cars so we could leave.

I said to him, "You are taking us to the first gas station and I'm treating us to cold drinks a.s.a.p." I was drenched. Other than running in the Derby marathons, I don't ever remember being that soaked through. It was 90 degrees and full humidity, so we knew it was coming. I just don't think we planned on going out so far. I didn't realize that we'd perspire so much, either. Liquids were a necessity.

Or maybe he did know, and I love him for that, too. It felt awesome. I thought a lot about being his age, what my rituals were during those years, and how much nature and hiking were a part of my every day life. I definitely felt old on the trail, wondering why I couldn't maneuver as quickly as Chitunga was doing. And, I admit, it wasn't the same breathing as running (I didn't use the same muscles, either). It was tough. I kept thinking, "What if someone passes out? How do they airlift someone who falls down the rocks and breaks a leg? What if that is my fate?"

I didn't want to know, but I imagined it, just like I imagined spending the night when I didn't see the end of the trail, ended up on another, and couldn't keep an eye on Tunga's blue Patriot shirt.

But it felt great to be outdoors, especially hiking with him. Perhaps I don't tell him enough within the everyday parenting, but I love this kid more than I love myself. He's 24, finished a Masters, and heading to the work force this Fall. He's kind, thoughtful, super intellectual, hard-working, funny, and motivated. I often tell him, "Sometimes I think you're a figment of my imagination, just because I admire you so much and I wonder if I've created this alter ego in my head to help me make sense of my world." He's just that chill and cool.

Then I realize he is very real. I'm so grateful.

I'm not sure my legs, thighs, calves, and ankles will forgive me, but I can say that the adrenaline, exhaustion, sweat, and hike triggered amazing joy in my mind, both in memory and with the present opportunity to go at it with the kid. I hope to maintain more hikes with him, and it's okay that he's faster, more agile, and elf-like as he moves. It's wonderful (crossing metaphors here) that he invites Hagrid along with him (that's Potter).

Happier that at 48 (twice his age) (and with not much practice) I was able to sustain myself for a few hours. It was definitely a challenge (because the ups and downs were crazy), but I did it....it was good for so many reasons, and doing the hike with Chitunga remains at the top.

Shoes and elephants with that kid. Elephants and Shoes. Phew.