June 21-22: Six Hobbies (con't)

A continuation of an update on last weekend's activities:

Camping
I camped in my tent at Lake Hope State Park. I've been to a lot of state parks in Ohio, and I think this park has one of the nicer campgrounds. It is busy enough that I feel safe, and the sites are nicely shaded. Just after setting up camp, a severe thunderstorm blew in. I stuck it out in the car until the storm passed, moved to the tent where puddles of water had collected around the sides, and read a book (another hobby). Unfortunately, it was too wet for a campfire!

Hiking
The next day, I headed out to the 23 mile Zaleski Forest Backpack Trail. I completed the 10 mile day hike--a challenge for my knees. If you think Ohio is nothing but flat farmland, take a trip to Southeastern Ohio--beautiful, hilly, heavily forested area of the state.

Yoga
Some sections of the Zaleski trail are a bit strenuous (for me), so I applied my learning of breathing techniques in yoga (another hobby). I found that if I concentrated on my breath, it helped get me up the hills with less strain and also helped me keep my thoughts focused on the experience of the solitude, rather than the long list of things I need to do.