24/07/2025
🪵 Journal · July 2, 2025 · Vancouver Island
It’s my third day here on Vancouver Island.
To be honest, just a few months ago, the idea of climbing any hill — let alone a full mountain trail — would’ve left me shaking my head.
But here I am — boots on, hydration pack clipped in, and already halfway up one of the island’s most breathtaking coastal trails.
For years, my body had felt like a burden. My knees ached constantly. Even short walks around the station left me winded.
But something changed. I changed.
This trip was a promise I made to myself:
“When I lose the weight and feel strong again, I’ll hike through real forest — not just city sidewalks.”
And today, as I stand on this overlook, the ocean stretched wide below and the pines towering above, I feel… free.
The kind of free I haven’t felt since academy days.
The trail was steep in parts — my calves burned, and I nearly turned back once.
But I didn’t.
I took my time, found my rhythm, and kept going.
Now, I’m sitting on a rock warmed by the sun, the breeze catching my hair, and the sound of distant waves humming through the trees.
It’s peaceful up here. Solid. Real.
I used to avoid anything that might make me sweat — photos, reunions, hikes, even long stairs.
But this version of me?
She packs her own trail snacks.
She laughs when her boots get muddy.
She makes it to the top — not to prove something to others, but to reconnect with herself.
I whispered to the trees today:
“I’m still here — stronger than ever.”
And the forest whispered back.
