u/Smooth-moves-317

I feel like some of the nature preserves are better than the state parks. Despite usually being much smaller, they are stunningly beautiful. It’s like a “highlight reel” hike, and I can find a lot to enjoy in that. My favorites so far have been Portland Arch and Big Walnut Creek. How about you guys, what are some of your favorites?

Why do I feel like I’m driving around in a third world country? Huge potholes, absolutely shitty streets left and right, debris on the road, I’m just constantly swerving around on this road coarse we’ve got over here. I-70 from the west side to downtown is just as bad, Michigan street, Rockville, etc. Ruining the cars of the people who actually live in the city..I know it’s bad everywhere but out west it is truly awful.

Was just thinking about it and realized I’ve been on nights for almost 3 years now! Crazy how fast time has went by.

I went from taking nightshift because I was broke and depressed, about to lose my apartment, and stuck in a bad place overall…I didn’t care about my clothes or haircut at the time..caffeine out the ass every night, sleeping all day.

To current day..I have a cozy spot, it’s Union and reliable, I’m no longer reliant on caffeine, I take daily walks, and am in a much better place overall.

I’m honestly thankful because I feel like I couldn’t have rehabilitated my mental without having this nightshift to decompress and sit with my thoughts, and not letting work politics, etc influence me in any way.

How has your guys journey been? The good, the bad?

How isn’t this place a state park? It’s huge, and has some real defining features. Probably the most rugged hike in the Indy metro outside fort Harrison or eagle creek. Just a gem of a place

You tell people you work nights. They’re shocked, or feel bad for you. “I can’t believe you work nights, I could never!!”

The exact same people will be the ones mad you can’t make an event, or take them to a doctors appointment, since you’re “ home all day”.

Make it make sense. It’s like they can’t comprehend sleeping during the day, and that it isn’t a slight or laziness that I can’t do stuff, it’s just that I have boundaries. I work nights, weekends, and occasionally OT, so I will miss some things.

I go on hikes on my days off, sometimes right after work. If I asked these same people, hey wanna go on a hike at 7 AM on a Wednesday? They’d say hell no. It’s just more annoying than anything.

Anyone else feel like a lone cowboy when walking, or traveling somewhere for a hike??

Or is it just me 🤠

I had a very very hard upbringing. Poverty, two drug addict parents. A family that was and still can be cold, aloof, and negative. I will not waste time getting hung up on the bad since that is a waste.

I moved back in with family and came into conflict with a family member in the household due to their controlling, dismissive, and hateful actions. It brought back that feeling of being unwanted. I needed something to change.

I’ve always been big on hiking, but never took up walking. I thought, what if I start walking daily? After this I started walking daily after work, Atleast an hour a day.

It’s something I like. Something that’s free and cheap, and it keeps me out the house. Sounds like a win win.

I tell you guys, it’s been night and day. I am way less antsy. I love feeling the sun on my face and the wind on my skin. I see vultures, cranes, sparrows, etc and it becomes a highlight of my day. I see more of my city, more nature, more people. I’ve met some very kind people at random state parks. I’ve learned about local and state history due to a lot of these places being historical. It helps me slowwww downn overall.

I now have a hobby that isn’t just video games. I noticed I have a little bit more to talk about since I’m becoming more aware of my surroundings, and have my own stories to tell. My complexion is pretty nice since I’m out and about frequently. 20k steps in a day won’t phase me at all. I’ve seen so many beautiful locations in my surrounding area. It makes me feel like I have some control in my life.

And most of all? It makes me know I’m not all alone. That just because I think “differently” from my family doesn’t make me wrong, an outcast, 2nd class, etc. I’m my own man, with my own values. I’ve naturally been drifting away from my family a bit and some people have been very critical. But these days it doesn’t hurt my feelings anymore, because I refuse to be apart of a family dynamic that is actually hurting me and hindering my life. I will still love them, but from a distance, and I won’t be yearning for their acceptance anymore.

Anyone else have this happen to them? You watch a documentary, read a book/article about a figure in history, and after learning about their life and their story, you get emotional.

I’ve been reading a lot of American Civil War history, and after watching “Grant” on history channel about Ulysses S.Grant, I cried seeing how his life ended after such a heroic life. I felt the same about Abe Lincoln and his rise from poverty to the US presidency.

I feel like the people you connect with most personally can be the ones who move you the most as well. Maybe it also seemed closer to home since I’m American.

With how much gas has risen in the past 2 months, I’ve made it a point to find some of the best hikes in town. The metro can seem like it’s lacking overall, but there are some very good spots.

The best: Southwestway park, and Fort Harrison State Park. Both are large, expansive, with some challenging trails. You can get an easy 4-5 hours out of both. Eagle creek will get an honorable mention, but they make you pay an admission to get in, so they are omitted due to me being a cheap bastard.

The good: Marian University Ecolab. Some interesting architecture and varying biomes. A sleeper you can get a couple hours out of, pretty easy trails overall.

Holliday park, Starkey park, are smaller, but still nice. Holcomb gardens at Butler has the central canal towpath, which contains some trails off the side of the paved path, and also leads right into newfields and its nature park.

For a solid nature walk: White River greenway, Fall Creek greenway, and the B and O trail are good. They’re all paved, and the B and O trail is 17 miles!

Just wanted to leave this here for my fellow nature lovers, joggers and walkers. I love making the drive out to Bloomington, brown county, etc. but financially I know it’s not feasible for many of us.

Granted I’m not on probation I’m on a plea deal…but I finished my Community service as the last part of my plea deal almost 2 weeks ago and they still haven’t got rid of my charge. How long does it take these people? I don’t want to be under the states thumb anymore.

I know it’s all relative, and based off personal opinion, but what makes the difference to you?

For me, a hike has to have some kind of “change” per se..let it be several trails, bending paths, elevation change, etc. There’s some elements there that are absent from a walk or nature walk.

For example, I have a trail by my house which is just a paved over old railroad. It’s as straight as an arrow, and despite being 17 miles long, I wouldn’t consider walking it a hike, and more so a nature walk.

How do you guys interpret it?

Anyone take a morning walk after getting off work? I think it’s genuinely beneficial. Mine are usually atleast an hour long and it helps me burn some of that energy I get right at 7 AM when I get off. Makes me feel like I’m actually doing something instead of just sleeping and working.