all who wander are not lost

I see this phrase on bumper stickers every so often...and am filled with a mix of solidarity and worry. With solidarity because on one hand - I know the value in wandering. I think it's great to wander some, you get to find out new things and explore something you never would have otherwise found. But on the other hand it causes worry because life filled with only wandering seems somehow meaningless to me...if that wandering never leads to something more substantial. At some point it seems the wandering should crash you into something you'd actually like to invest in.

The reason for this ponder is I spent some time wandering last night. I don't know if it really applies to what I just pondered about...but it was wandering - I did receive joy from it - and it did lead me to somewhere...in more then one way!

My friend Paul and I, who normally jog together, decided to join the Sierra Club at Griffith Park for one of their night hikes. The hikes start at 7 and go until 9. We arrived a few minutes late and saw the last couple groups heading into the hills. We managed to catch up with one, however, it was the group of highest difficulty. We decided to stay, even though Paul wasn't quite up for that level of difficulty this particular evening. Well...the leader, Andy, a man not altogether different then what I'd imagine a hobbit to be except for the bright red highlights in his hair, thought the group should give me a little initiation. So Andy led us across the 'balcony' - kinda like scaling a rock face - and then we continued on through the bush and steepness to the top of Hollywood Mountain. It's a fabulous 360 degree view from up there, it was really magnificent to look at LA all lit up, and particularly with all the dust that was in the air yesterday due to high winds - it created a very orange, lit up sky. So that was great. It's neat to be completely absorbed in nature, when you're actually in the middle of a huge city! And I found it very amusing to watch the 10 other people in our group and interact with them. They were characters! Only together because of hiking...no other way would this group of odd figures hang out!

After hanging out at the top of Hollywood Mountain, the group began to head back down - and Paul and I decided to take the road, an easier route. The road winded at a very leisurely pace down and around the mountains and we took quite a long time getting back to the car (it was the last one left in the parking lot!) But...it was a great time...talking, hearing the crickets, seeing an owl, enjoying the strength/health that God has given me, feeling part of this strange new city. Our wanderings meant that our hike was about an hour longer then everyone elses...but it was an hour well spent, even if we were kinda wandering!