oFf tHe BeAtEn PaTh

Two forest parks diverged on a map, and we took the one less traveled. The weather was unseasonably warm for October, so MK and I decided to take a walk around Roosevelt Island. However, a wrong turn on GW Parkway and a failed u-turn left us contentedly agreeing that Turkey Run Park was good enough for the day.

At this point it must be noted that I was only prepared for a walk. I was in a capri summer dress and flip flops. Never one to let an adventure pass me by, I was fine trekking down to the water. In fact, it was even my idea to hop across the rocks and sit for awhile on the bank of the Potomac.

That is, until I noticed swarms of mosquitoes (my sworn enemies!) I quickly scampered off the rocks and we decided to finish the short loop around back to the car. Well, until MK said he saw another "similar" route. This similar route had us sloshing through creek, scurrying over rocks and up a steep rock incline... only to find out we needed to back track and do a different steep rock incline.

During this whole process MK kept looking at me nervously. I finally asked him what was wrong and he said, "You're surprisingly calm for a girl doing this, especially in flip flops." Um, thanks? Apparently my nonchalant anti-diva attitude won me some points. And the great thing is, I would totally do it again! Well, minus the walking on an exit ramp of a major highway part.. I could do without that. But hiking in flip flops seems par for the course among my group of friends!

It also reminded me of this article I read recently online about dating:

Activity #5: Go for a drive together
The next time your date offers to drive you somewhere, pay attention to how he or she reacts on the road. “Driving is very, very revealing,” says body language expert Patti Wood (pattiwood.net). “Years ago, I was on a first date with a man who’d turn left at yellow lights and took lots of risks on the road. That told me he was a person who would always live a little on the edge.” Other insights from Wood: lane-changers will probably always be on the lookout for someone better-looking, smarter or richer than you. Picky parkers who always want to go around one more time to see if they can snag a closer spot probably have problems with commitment. Herky-jerky drivers who accelerate and brake so quickly they leave your stomach queasy may have a poor sense of pacing in all areas of their lives. Plus, if you’re driving, see how he or she handles it; nagging that you should slow down, speed up, or otherwise do things differently is a sign this person probably won’t love you just the way you are (starting with your bad driving).