Put yourself in neutral and you will find peace...eventually.

As I get out of the car I grab my phone from my pocket to check the battery life and as I do Genya asks "You don't need that do you?". "I guess not" I say as I hesitantly toss it back into my car and lock it up.

We begin running down the gravel trail into the forest - Genya is barefoot and I’m in sandals. It's a cool 9 degrees with overcast and a slight drizzle at 8am. "How've you been?" Genya asks. "Good." I say but all I can think about is how I might miss a great photo opportunity. Or I'll forget a great idea that comes to mind by the time we get back to the car. All I actually feel is anxiety.

After some light running and sharing updates on our lives we stop at our first station - time to climb trees. Genya grabs onto a low hanging branch with his hands then swings his legs up and wraps his ankles around it.

While hanging upside down he makes his way to the end of the branch looking like a sloth on his morning commute. He makes his way back then does a couple chin-ups before coming down. I struggle to mimic his movements but enjoy the attempt all the same.

With my feet back on the ground I reach for my phone to capture this moment then realize it's not there. The anxiety hits, but my racing heart combined with the fresh air quells the feeling.

The rain starts to pick up but it has no impact on our pace nor our mood - we're both in high spirits. Back to running.

After an hour of playing in the forest, Genya tells me he's taking me somewhere special. He asks me to close my eyes and place my hand on his shoulder. After walking 30 paces in the dark he tells me to open my eyes and I'm blown away by what I see.

It's a fort.

But not a dinky tipi-like fort that's built on the ground. This thing has two floors, windows, a terrace, and a lookout tower. It's built entirely by fallen trees and supported by a few of the living. I couldn't believe it.

"I run through this forest 365 days a year, but never did I find this". Genya says, as he's relaying how his 18yr old son Tim was the one who discovered it.

'Isn't that interesting?' I think to myself. Day after day. Year after year we go through the motions of our life. Little do we know that outside these routines lies treasures that have always been there.

He then goes on to share this powerful quote:

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. ~ W. B. Yeats

This line snapped me into alignment. I tuned into the present moment and it felt as though time hushed. I noticed how during this entire run my senses were blunt due to my desire for my phone. I wanted to be so stimulated that I was blind to the beauty all around me.

I was looking but I did not see.

I was hearing but I did not listen.

I was touching but I did not feel.

Once we began to make our way back I was more engaged into the games of climbing trees, tossing rocks, and balancing. At one point I began to slowly sink my foot into a puddle of mud just to feel the sensation of it squeezing through my toes. It was exhilarating and I couldn't help but smile and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. This feeling is something that could never be translated through an Instagram story.

The thought of my phone would still pop up at times but it lost its emotional charge. It was now something that came and went like the wind. We get back to the car soaking in sweat and rain and loving life.

I take a few deep breaths and begin to reminisce in awe at the last two hours. I look over at Genya and he is wearing his trademark smile of gratitude which fills me with joy. We embrace and thank each other for the lovely adventure.

As I watch Genya begin to run home all I could think about was how I didn't have to get on a plane to experience adventure. I didn't have to drive hours to some foreign destination to feel alive. I was able to have a deep connection with myself, with a friend, and with nature all in the suburbs.

And now I encourage you to do the same.

Leave your phone behind. Grab a friend (human or beast alike) get outside and explore for at least an hour. I recommend an hour for a good reason: you're over stimulated.

Being overstimulated is like driving 140km/h - you're heavily focused on where you're going and never present to where you are. Going out into nature is the act of putting the car in neutral - it will begin to slow down but it will take time.

Give yourself that time.

I promise that as you get closer to 0km/h you will feel more connected to the world. You will feel more aligned within your body, mind and soul. There will be less tension in your experience of life.

It's from this space of calm that we can see new trails to explore. And who knows, maybe you'll find a fort of your own. And in this market you might just move in.