#27 Seek out nature

"Where's the compass?" My friend Ivan frantically looked around, but there was no compass to be found. Under my initiative, we ventured from the safety of the marked trail deep into the forest. Equipped with nothing, but our goodwill and a map. We were lost-lost.

My two other friends were close to a nervous breakdown. With one calling his mom every hour to let her know in the most solemn of voices that we are probably not going to make it.

We did the only sensible thing we could — follow the river. I knew that the dam we were heading towards must be 2-3 hours westward, but it was impossible to know. The trees were so dense.

This was my first adventure on my own. I had managed to convince 3 friends from high school to go to the Rhodope mountains on a 3-day trek through the forest sleeping under the stars. It was exhilarating.

Only problem? None of us had any experience doing something like this. But I am the kind of a guy that prefers doing it over reading.

My friends and reached the dam and set fire for the night. The smoke attracted a local gentleman who came by boat and picked us up. We were joyous! He gave us a lift to the other side of the dam from where we took the trail to our starting point.

But our troubles weren't over yet. Once again, we found ourselves lost until we were rescued by some local lumberjacks. They drove us back to our starting point in Vietnam era military trucks.

Despite the challenges we faced, the adventure was the best I could have hoped for. I have always had a deep appreciation for nature, and walking through the mountains has a cleansing effect on my mind and soul. While I may not go on these treks as often as I would like, I know that I can always count on nature to provide me with the sense of belonging and peace that I need.

Thank you for reading this far. This article is part of the series "33 things I learned turning 33".