The First Time Lost in the Woods

My sister and I decided to walk a new path, one that looked a little less taken, so it's no surprise we ended up on the other side of the mountain. We had taken the back trails from our yard all the time, so to think that there was some that we'd never really seen before was highly unlikely, or so we thought. Our plan going hiking was to take an old lawn chair and bring it up to a new lookout and then try and find it later, or the next time we felt like going up there again. Plans changed quickly when we discovered that nothing looked familiar and that the sun was going down too fast, making the whole forest look dark and creepy, just like in the old tales. We both were panicking because neither one of us had a phone or the time, we had only a plastic lawn chair for survival. We started thinking logically about what direction our house was in, but didn't consider going off the path, because, again, like in the old stories, we were taught that this was a "no-no". We also planned what we would do if we did get really lost and had to spend the night. Maybe we'd use our socks for gloves and both snuggle in the same sweater, keeping each other warm in the every-changing temperature. It was a funny little panic we both had and now I kind of understand why people are so grateful for the invention of GPS, even if I must admit I am too old-fashioned to use one. So, we kept walking on this path that was heading downhill, hoping to take us to a common path that either of us might have known. Eventually we got to a path I recognized and after at least two hours of stressful worrying, I started to groan and face palm myself for being so silly. It was an interesting night and one I will never forget. Funny how you don't know a path and where it will lead or may not remember a path once you've traveled it, but the memory of being lost in an unknown area stays with you forever...