Lost in World's End

We really were lost. Our 6.4 mile hike should only have taken 3 hours at most. The written directions and the map seemed clear enough:

Follow the road for half a mile until you reach a stile on the left, just beyond a footpath sign. Turn sharp RIGHT here onto a rising path...

Stile? Footpath sign? Rising path to the right? We never found that landmark and ended up walking for hours along Offa’s Dyke Path. The scenery of the Welsh countryside was wonderful; this photograph was taken on that hike. We passed other groups of hikers coming the other way and even enjoyed a brief conversation with an English couple, Anthony and Helga, while we rested awhile by the side of the trail.

Five hours after setting out, we came to the end of the trail. We tried to find the Sun Trevor Inn, the pub where we had planned to have lunch. But since we were probably 10 miles away from where we were meant to be, there was no Sun Trevor Inn (nor any other sign of civilization) to be found. A bit of exploring in every direction, and the truth dawned on us. We were lost.

There was, however, a stream running by the side of the road. We decided to follow that stream, knowing the stream would lead us to the river, and there would be villages in the river valley. A wonderful Buddhist metaphor came to mind: let the river carry you downstream. Meditating on this image helped me remain calm and centered. I might not have known where I was (a place called World’s End, as it turned out), but I was confident the stream would lead us home.

After a bit, as we walked down that single-lane country road, a car came up from behind us ... and stopped. The driver rolled down the window. It was Anthony and Helga, and they graciously offered a ride! They too had gotten lost on their hike and had returned to their parked car. And the road we were following? It led directly to the village of Llangollen where we were staying, and we gratefully treated our new friends to lunch.

Sometimes travel does not go as planned, but wrong turns can have happy outcomes. We made new friends that day, and an important realization was reinforced. We all have times of feeling lost, but our innate spiritual wisdom can often help us find our way home again, sometimes literally from a place called World’s End.

If you have comments on this column, or might like to plan a travel adventure with someone who's not afraid to miss a turn on occasion, email me or visit my website.