Do you ever feel like you need to get away from the noise? Do you crave an experience that unclutters your mind? Do you want to come away with clarity and peace? Do you feel that you need to be more intentional about your objectives than when you simply need to relax?
This is how Todd and I feel… the last 21 months of our lives have been intense. There have been highs and lows for each of us personally, and for our family. Change is fabulous and one of the most amazing parts of life, but it is not always easy…
A couple weeks after returning from our Great Lakes adventure we were reflecting on the journey… what we learned, how we want to grow from the experience, and what’s next. There’s a lot going through our minds… ideas, new projects, personal challenges, and big dreams. We know there’s a path ahead and we can see it… we just need some clarity to get there.
Our intuitions tell us that we need to get away from the regular noise of life… We don’t need a vacation, we need a retreat with minimal complications so we can focus…
· Nothing fancy, no airports, and no crowds
· Natural and quiet
· Lodging, food, and hiking at the same place
· No schedules to box us in
With this vibe in mind we started to do some research. Our first search was for lodge to lodge hiking. We found that there are some really great looking trips in a few areas… in Minnesota by Lake Superior, Estes Park in Colorado, and in Vermont. Estes Park would require a plane so we ruled it out. The others look nice, but there are planned activities and schedules to follow daily. We went back to one of our trip requirements… no schedules.
After ruling out lodge to lodge hiking we had to refocus… We looked for areas east of the Mississippi that are naturally beautiful. We added another requirement… we want height… we want to hike up and look out. We want a different perspective to view the world. Our journey needs a mountain! We zeroed in on the Blue Ridge Mountains and the highest peak east of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell. There are several fairly well known areas close to Mt. Mitchell… Gatlinburg, TN and Asheville, NC. Both look like great areas, but offer more than we’re looking for…
With focus on the Mt. Mitchell area, we dug deeper… What’s available away from the larger cities? Are there any places we can hike out of? Our search led us to “Little Switzerland”, which is a little town on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There’s not a lot in Little Switzerland, which is great for us…
We have a hotel room at the Switzerland Inn and are looking forward to our retreat out of the noise filled with reflection, meditation, and transformation!