Life Lessons On And Off Trail

Life lessons come to everyone in different ways at different times. They also come from the places you least expect them to. I have always been an avid motorsports enthusiast. Snowmobiles, motorcycles, four wheelers, and boats, if it has a motor and can provide a sense of adventure, I am there. Offroading had been the one thing I really hadn’t done but wanted to. Trucks and trails, right up my alley! The opportunity for me to try this new hobby came when I met my now husband, then, boyfriend. Offroading is something that he had been doing long before I came into the picture. Once we met and I found out this was a passion of his, I knew we were going to get along well. What I didn’t know was that offroading would give me more than just something fun to do with my husband on the weekends.

There is always a lot to do to prepare for a weekend of offroading. Ensuring you have a place to stay, gear for out on the trail, food, and snacks, and last but not least, making sure your trail rig is ready to ride. As you are preparing all of this, the excitement and anticipation of what the weekend will hold continues to build. You never are sure what to expect but you know it is going to be fun and full of adventure. Once you get your campsite set up and have a good night’s rest it’s time to hit the trails.

You might be wondering what all of this has to do with life lessons. While there are certainly some to be had while preparing, the true lessons really start on the trail. As you roll up to that first obstacle it sometimes can be scary. Self-doubt, thinking can I make this, can my rig make it? This is where courage and self-confidence come in. It sometimes takes a lot of courage, and some encouragement, to pick that first line through that first obstacle. Once you successfully make it through it gives you a boost of self-confidence that carries you through to your next obstacle. Now, if you are any bit like me, you might be thinking to yourself what if I don’t make it? What if I fail? This is where patience, perseverance, and teamwork come in. Being patient with yourself is important. Without that everything else is sure to be a struggle. Perseverance, I have learned that just because you may not make it on the first try if you persevere and try again it is worth the second shot. Teamwork, without it, most things in offroading aren’t really possible. Your team, the people you surround yourself with out on the trails are the ones who spot for you, encourage you and help you fix your broken down rig. Really when it comes down to it your team is what makes offroading the experience it is.

I have been a part of many teams in my life. Through sports growing up or teams at work most all of us have been a part of one. My offroading team has taught me about being selfless. They always help each other out, no questions asked. Parts are borrowed without keeping score, time is spent so that our team members can be out on the trails in their rig, and through this lifelong friendships have been built. Of course, there is one thing I can’t forget not only about offroading but about my team. They are what make this a fun hobby to have. Laughing, making jokes, teasing each other, and just spending time together makes this a fun experience. Offroading has turned friends into family. This sounds like a lot of life lessons all in just the first obstacle. I certainly have not learned all of this at once. Not in one obstacle, not on one trail, and not in one weekend. Truth be told, many of these happen every time I am able to go out on the trails. While it may not be obvious during the weekend, as I reflect back on what the past 6 years of offroading has taught me I realize it is more than I would have thought.

Hobbies are activities that provide us joy, excitement, relaxation, and sometimes a sense of accomplishment. We think of them as things that we enjoy doing. Sometimes, hobbies provide much more than those things. They provide life lessons that you maybe would have never expected. Courage, self-confidence, patience, perseverance, and teamwork, all life lessons I may have learned in other ways or at other times. I know I certainly wouldn’t have expected all of this from an amazingly fun activity that I get to do with my husband and our friends, who have turned into family, over the weekends.