Trail Experiences that Elicit Delight
Plus Cycle Forward's Curiosity Series and celebrating a project milestone
Delight.
It’s defined as a high degree of gratification or pleasure. Some of the best trail experiences are ones in which we experience delight. A trail doesn’t have to be long or well known to elicit delight. Take, for example, the little wooded path in the Five Islands Lighthouse Park in Nova Scotia, which took me by surprise in the best possible way.
Not long into the trail, I saw a scallop shell that was painted yellow with a handprinted message, “Into the wooded area.” My first thought was, “Huh…this is interesting.” And then, much to my delight, we discovered shell after shell, each with its own design. We also saw the occasional tuna tin and other repurposed items as well as a “dog library” (“Take a stick, leave a stick,” it said) and some other fun surprises.
I don’t know the backstory on what we experienced the other day, but what we discovered was the difference between a trail I may not have remembered and one I’ll probably never forget. I’ve experienced delight along trails in other instances:
Little Free Libraries tucked away on trails
A collection of walking sticks available for use
A trail bridge that’s lit by night
Art painted right on the trail
When was a time you experienced delight while out on a trail? Let me know in the comments.
Cycle Forward’s Curiosity Series: Will You Join Me?
On Wednesdays in October, I'll be hosting the Curiosity Series, four small group discussions that prompt people to consider and discuss one curious question each week. I'm so excited to offer this series! I once saw Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors, speak at a coaching conference. She talked about the connection between personal/professional disruption and innovation. Simply put, innovation can't occur without disruption. We have to disrupt ourselves, question our assumptions, and bring a sense of curiosity to our lives and work in order to innovate. The ability to adapt, innovate, and keep learning is important to me. If it is to you as well, consider joining me for the Curiosity Series. The topic for the first session is “What if we told communities they didn’t need to change a single thing about their place?”
Celebrating a Project Milestone: 19 Meetings Complete
It's important to take the time to celebrate.
I've been working with American Trails and the US Forest Service's Eastern Region on a series of partner meetings throughout the region. The meetings were focused on getting partners involved in the 10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge. We ended the series on a high note yesterday with a very positive discussion. It was the 13th meeting in the series and the conversation STILL had our project team (and others) excited about the future of America's largest trail system!
This is the first time I've facilitated a series like this. Add to it six meetings for staff throughout the region and this week’s meeting marks the end of a 19 MEETING series. Whew! The project isn't over but I'm definitely going to take some time to recognize all that went into this phase and how it's contributing to deepening relationships throughout the region. Learn more about the Trail Challenge here.