You follow a map, you check in or register or sign in or else you just show up, with all your preparations on your back. All that weight of your cares and your expectations, you bring a first aid kit and a book to read, because fear of disaster and fear of boredom loom equally in your mind.
There is always a journey to the starting point, a prelude to change. A moment you did not recognize when you turned this direction, but now it has led you here. The Jumping Off Point.
This is the term wilderness travelers use when they reach the last edge of the known and step into the mystery. The jumping off point is where you leave behind all but what you carry with and inside yourself. I stand at the trailhead. I adjust my pack straps. I step out with faith in myself and my companions.
Let the Journey Begin!
