When I was young, my parents were always planning trips to the mountains or the sea. I didn’t like them at all, mainly because my parents and I don’t have such a rose-tinted relationship, although I admit that exploring the country was invigorating at times.
I’ve come to realise that it is very important to expose kids to new and exciting ideas; they open up more and have a better tendency to develop critical and creative thinking in their adulthoodf.
So, besides the fact that I’ll always recommend venturing out in nature, other cultures or just talking to people in general, that’s beside the point.
Synergy
Between the ages of 15 and 18, I have gone on one of our family’s last trips. At the time, I was pretty much obsessed with sports, following piously Saitama’s from One Punch Man training program, so when my parents proposed a hike, you bet I felt my destiny calling.
It was such a freeing experience…I ran ahead of my parents, because they just wanted to trek, and I quickly found myself in the middle of a surreal experience. Green everywhere my sight landed, except above, where the sunrays blasted through each leaves’ opening.
Immediately, post-workout dizziness made my vision act like a kaleidoscope. Paired with running exhaustion, breathing that clean, mountain air filled my lungs with power more than anything else, amplifying the phenomenon. The influx of pure, fresh air overwhelmed my brain, as I’ve never felt so clear-headed in my life.
I generally love the tiredness after workouts, but this was on another level. I was virtually about to pass out, yet the whole nature around me pushed me forward like a jet engine.
At the end of the day, you know how much this moment lasted? Not even an hour, and yet it was the most fulfilling short hike I’ve ever experienced.
Explore, discover, live
That’s what A Short Hike reminded me of and for that reason only it will forever stand on my G.O.A.T. list.
It was a constant nostalgia trip of the pure joyfulness that I carried with me as a kid everywhere I went. That’s what the game is trying to do in every way it can, to make you aware of the fact that life is beautiful. That’s it.
In my country, Romania, there’s a lot of unfortunate and poor children that may never experience the joy of living without any worries, even for a few moments. Travelling, in certain cases, may be a luxury.
That’s why I strongly urge you, if you’ve got the bare minimum means, to make this step. Explore your neighbourhood, your town, city, country, continent, the whole world even!
Hell, that’s why I love video games, because they’re vignettes into different parts of the globe or the universe. The enrichment I get from this medium means too much to be expressed in mere words.
Suprise sidelines
Growing up, I’ve slowly but surely became more obsessed with the concept of time. Somehow, I took Seneca all too seriously and tried to make absolutely every second of my life count. However, during the process, I transformed into a machine at times, a husk of a boy running in the forest with a big ass smile on his face.
Disclaimer: Seneca isn’t about that, I misunderstood him. Read De Brevitate Vitae for yourself if you wanna understand every facet of Stoicism. Not just one part like I did.
Unexpectedly, I found myself having wake up moments. Like taking a stroll in a park just to listen to a podcast episode and abandoning it because the scenery was all too beautiful to pass by.
I learned on my own skin what A Short Hike just tried to teach me: take a step back, a deep breath, and let the life around you sink in.
Do you know that feeling when you just came back from a full day of chores and tasks? It feels like the day just flew by, albeit if you were bored, the day seems all too long. In a bad way.
But do you want that? Of course not! You want to make the most of yourself and your surroundings. Keeping track of time isn’t fun or novel, it’s just a tool. Stray from the outlined path, talk to someone who draws your attention, grab a pretzel if you feel like it, take a swim in a river. Again: experience!
A Short Hike presents a simple mission similar to many other games: climb to the top of the mountain (for cellphone reception). Even if you try to get there as fast as possible, the game pulls you from every direction, tingling your curiosity and sense of wander. Only a lunatic would follow his goal with a tunnel vision. That being said, I guess we’re all lunatics sometimes…
Not counting time, but stars
The game can be completed in approximately an hour, if that’s your relentless goal. Just to give you an idea, I accumulated a playtime of 4.7 hours. However, A Short Hike is a long stretch from numerical thinking.
I would’ve spent more time in this idyllic dream if possible, wanting to make more friends, help them, train myself more (through father gathering, which acts as stamina) and just let my view wander off into the distance.
A little chirp, a rustle of leaves, a howl of wind or a wave crashing against some rocks, these comprise lifeful, spectacular vistas that you can’t help but gaze upon. These landscapes can be found almost anywhere you go, you just have to let yourself see that.
At the game’s ending, you find yourself on the mountain peak. There’s a moment of silence, a blissful quietness, a final respite allowing yourself to gaze at the northern lights and stars. Colours flood the screen and you can’t help but awe in admiration. And then, the cellphone rings. If you want to know how that cellphone enhances the breathtaking scene even further, you’ll have to play for yourself.
Also, gliding down from there is a stroke of genius, along with the astonishing soundtrack playing in the background!
A Short Hike left me wanting more, but it didn’t. It’s the perfect length and it doesn’t overstay its welcome because it delivers the message and the whole philosophy it set out to do. All while giving you the time to take it every bit of it.
