A walk in The Don River Valley Park

October is the last month of the year (in the northern hemisphere) which offers some sort of a sunny respite before the cold and chill of the winter reign supreme. On one such warm fall evening I decided to shun the walls of the gym and celebrate the last vestiges of sunshine this year with a brisk walk in The Don River Valley Park.

Now don't let the term 'park' fool you, coz Don Valley park is no less than an urban forest nestled within the confines of a metropolis. Most parks afford the luxury of circling back to the point of entry but then Don Valley is not your usual park. This woody incarnation straight from a Wordsworth's poem flows like an unending river allowing no way to get back to where you started from, unless you are careful enough to retrace your steps. With several natural and manmade trails this park is a hiker's paradise and a cyclist's delight.

After a long day's work I needed a workout but didn't want to get lost in the maze of trees. Hence the plan was to impose a time limit and back track way before I felt tired. With the 'fall' colors beckoning me I set off on my walk. I was greeted immediately by a serpentine stream.

Accompanying the stream was a winding path which led me to a thick green cover. The trees in this part were so dense that even the sun disappeared behind them. Maybe I was in a forest after all?

The thick cover gave way to a beautiful clearing where the sun shone brightly on a solitary bench. The bench might have had several illustrious visitors but at this moment in time the bench belonged to me and I sat there for a while basking in the sunshine.

The cycle of light and darkness continued but every patch of darkness was well worth the light at the end of it. Maybe this journey of mine was slowly turning into a metaphor for life where things achieved after a long struggle only get sweeter.

While I was taking in the scenery and creating new metaphors for life I passed by several exits. I was careful to not take any of them coz remember what I said at the beginning of this blog "The park offers no way back to where you started from unless you retrace your own steps".

There is no greater stress buster than a walk. A majority of our life is spent in trying to get somewhere but there is joy in letting go off things for once and allowing things to happen to you. The thoughts gave away to a divine realization, one which I could not ignore and one which I had to act upon immediately. And that realization was.......

......

that I was miles away from where I started. It was getting dark already (no I was not under a dense tree cover) I just lost track of time and let the evening disappear into twilight. I retraced my path and had a hearty laugh at how philosophy gave way to pure comedy. On my way back I ran into some little friends who seemed to be returning to their homes too.

I bade my reptilian friends goodbye and finally found my way out of the park. The walk gave me everything and more than what I had asked for. Next time you are in Toronto during the summer time do remember to give The Don River Valley Park a shout. It's one of the best places to hike near Toronto. My trip helped me to come up with more than one metaphors for life. Who knows what you might end up finding?

Until Next Time,

Your Next Door Adventurer,
J.J. Chaitanya

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