Distances become shorter when we can see the destination.* But most of the time we can't see what's coming next. Life can change fast, and when it does, our ambitions and goals have to change too.
I walk through the forest in the dark** fairly often in the good weather. Even with a headlamp, it can be disorienting without the usual daylight landmarks.
So I don't try to figure out where I am.
Instead I enjoy the walk itself: the way the shadows fall on the ground - Is that a branch or a shadow?, the sounds - which are different at night, the scent of the trees - which seem more available without vision, the feeling of presence which infuses everything.
When I come up to a fork in the road, I stop and orient myself. Once I decide which direction I want to take next, I let the path lead me and return to my joy in being in the presence of the forest.
**Although in the dark is best, the same thing is fun in heavy rain or fog because it limits the visual input. Wearing reading glasses would do the same thing.
* see this article: Are We There Yet?
