Being outside, taking a deep breath, arriving

Relax and leave everyday life behind you while hiking in the Sauerland on varied hiking trails.

The morning is quiet as we set off. The half-timbered village of Westfeld in the heart of the Sauerland hiking villages is still half asleep and it takes us a few minutes to really arrive. Lena is walking next to me because, as so often, we are hiking together again. It feels immediately familiar. No big talk, no fixed plan for the day - we just set off.

At some point, Westfeld appears in front of us again. How quickly time flies. And I resolve not to put off days like this for so long again. Not necessarily as a big project with long planning, but rather as a small reminder of how good it is to simply set off and actively switch off. However, the next tour through the Sauerland hiking villages is firmly on the agenda.

Even after the first few steps, I notice how the peace and quiet spreads to me and the stress slowly subsides. My thoughts are less focused on everyday life and no longer jump from one topic to the next so quickly. Things that have been on my mind over the last few days fade into the background. It's good to just walk without having to constantly think about the next to-do.

Today we have set ourselves ten kilometers on the Antoniussteig. For me, this is a pleasant length, which also leaves time for breaks to consciously take in the landscape. The path sets a pace that feels right. Very even and without any hectic pace. We talk in between, but then allow ourselves to rest again and give ourselves time to pursue our own thoughts. It's pleasant that nothing seems forced. I notice how I become more attentive, less to individual details and more to the overall feeling. For being outside, which somehow automatically slows me down, and for the movement, which helps me to organize my thoughts without having to actively think about them.

We stop for a moment every now and then to enjoy the view of the landscape with its striking mountain ranges, dense forests and green meadows. We don't look for long, then carry on. When we take a break later on, it fits in perfectly with the schedule. No big set-up, no particular destination - we sit down, eat something and let the time pass briefly. It's nice to realize how relaxed a day can feel when you don't put yourself under pressure to make something of it.