I have a tendency to wander. Wander in life, wander in my mind, and wander with decisions. I often end up with three cupcakes instead of one because life is too short to settle on one thing. I adore this mindset, but sometimes it backfires. I don’t necessarily feel lost, just a bit ADD at times. Tolkien said it best after all. 
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m <finally> on a break from school for the remainder of the month. Despite the fact that my final was last Wednesday, I skipped out on studying last Monday and headed to the mountains instead. I needed to wander.
It had been two months since I last hiked, and three months since I had been to the area where I spent most of my summer exploring.
What was once a simple 4 mile hike that I could do with my eyes shut, quickly became a moderately difficult hike that caused me to loose my breath a handful of times.
It was never “I need to stop I’m going to die” difficult, but it wasn’t a cake walk like it used to be. This made the view from the top very rewarding.
I can’t put into words the feeling I got when I stepped foot on those rocks. I almost wanted to cry. After struggling to find my footing with a school/life balance the last few months this solo hike was beyond necessary. I was the only person at the top and I took full advantage of it because this hike is typically PACKED with people.
No people means you have to take your own photo at the top. I hate selfies, but I tried.
No adventure to the mountains would be complete without a solid refuel. I needed a foodie adventure because as I previously mentioned, my eats have been rather boring.
I drove all around Seattle for some good eats <—true story.
I didn’t plan on a slice of pizza, but once I saw it I had to have it.
I found my way to a local vegan bakery that I had been wanting to try for a while.
Lemon blueberry cupcake.
Chocolate mousse filled cupcake.
I also snagged a mini pumpkin bread, which didn’t stand a chance for a photo. I tornado inhaled that the second I got back to my car. I got concerned stares.
..but when treats taste this good, all cares go out the window.
They say to do what you love and the money will follow, but what if you’re not concerned about money? Sure I want to be able to survive, but I’m a minimalist and I’m OK with a minimal lifestyle. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that today my soul is filled, and my life is balanced once again.
Q(s):
- Thoughts?
- Cookies or cupcakes?
- Did you settle on one thing you wanted to do for a living? I suspect I’m going to be a personal chef/mountain tour guide/novice blogger/treat baker/coffee guru/cat wrangler for many years to come – – – for now I’m OK with that.
Blissfulbritt 
80 thoughts on “Empty Mind, Filled Soul”
Heather @ HeatherRunsFast.com
SO GLAD you were finally able to go on a hike! I know most people don’t believe it, but money doesn’t buy happiness, and I think you know that. We are so frugal and don’t have super fancy things, but you know what? We’re HAPPY! Spend money on things that count, like yummy vegan treats and entrance fees to awesome National Parks.
I didn’t/haven’t settled on one thing to do with my life and I’m cool with that. Not everyone is meant to be a 9-5er (even though I currently am, ha!) just goes to show you you never know where you’ll end up! As for cookies or cupcakes… I prefer cookies with frosting, so pretty much a combo 🙂
Brittany
Yes, yes, YES! To all of it.
Shannon
Fab! A nature hike ending with vegan cupcakes and pizza. What’s not to like?
Jessica
Wandering is the best. I find I have the best thoughts when I am not focusing on doing anything at all! Lovely photos, lady!
brickhousechick
Brittany, you are so brave and inspiring! Never mind climbing to the top but the fact that you could take that selfie (which scared the jacuzzis out of me because of the height), is amazing! You always make your hikes worth it with all those wonderful treats you reward yourself with. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Brittany
You are too sweet. 🙂
Nussaibah
Perfect ending with pizza and cupcakes! Love!
megasaurusyoung
Absolutely beautiful (food included)! Cupcakes for the win
Lauren @ ihadabiglunch
Lol that job description sounds perfect for you 😉 congrats on making it to the top! My friends and I were just talking about this — selfies are completely acceptable if you’re doing something out of the ordinary. If you’re at the movies and you take a selfie like “#justhadlunch #lookatme”, then yeah, that’s annoying. But if you HIKE A MOUNTAIN, you’re entitled to a selfie 🙂
Brittany
I totally hate selfies, yet I took one. Does this make me a hypocrite?? HAHAHA. I think your reasoning is perfect, so that makes me feel better.
kathy c.
those views and mountains. you have no idea how jealous i am that you’re so close to all that gorgeousness!
Brittany
I do have to drive about 2 hours to get here, but it’s SO worth it. I just leave early and spend most of my day there. 🙂
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
I’m in desperate need of a little time in the mountains, which is why the weekend can’t come soon enough. And I feel like I spent the majority of my 20’s wandering, and that I’m not quite done. I think I’ve finally figured out what I want to be “when I grow up,” but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to continue exploring 🙂
PS – cookies.
Rach @ This Italian Family
I’m so glad you took some time to go wander. It is good for the soul. 🙂
Amanda Afield
Gorgeous photos- definitely nothing wrong with wandering a little, especially in the mountains. Definitely cookies if they’re fresh out of the oven…otherwise its a tough call. 🙂
dancinginaugustrain
Love the pictures and this post!
BabetaRuns
The hike looks amazing!
And the cupcakes… None of these would stand a chance for a picture – they would all be gone in a nano-second. Yumm!
Kelsey
What an amazing experience during your hike. Isn’t it weird how taking that time for yourself can have such an amazing emotional impact?
Brittany
YES!! It’s magical.
Shawna
sometimes i think i love reading your posts more than any other blog i read. but don’t tell everyone that. 🙂 you’re just so lovely and so completely YOU. i love the solo hiking and the internal-and-external wandering, and the metaphor of the rocks, and all of the introspection you do in getting to know yourself and wonder what your life will look like…while being entirely comfortable with the wandering and wondering process, and sharing it with us. i am over 30 (i know, please pretend you can’t believe it) and STILL totally cool with not knowing what exactly i’m going to be! a dreamer/writer/world-wandering/gypsy soul/creative type/running freak who wants to eventually be a therapist…that’s all okay with me. anyhoo…not a cupcake person at all so i guess i’d go with cookies there. oatmeal. with pumpkin. and healthy. 🙂
Brittany
Your comments are ALWAYS my favorite. We are soul mates that live on opposite sides of the US!! Thank you my love. ❤
Shawna
That we are! Xo
Bunny Eats Design
I think it is good to have a range of hobbies. I have thought about changing careers but retraining and starting from the bottom doesn’t appeal to me right now. I would rather blend my interests so that my current skills are still relevant. I work in graphic design for example but I love food. I wouldn’t want to become a chef, but being a designer for the food industry or a food stylist sounds great to me.
Chef tour guide baker blogger cat wrangler? You should buy a house in the mountains and offer guided hiking retreat weekends. Healthy meals and great coffee provided. Cats to keep you company.
Brittany
YOUR dream food styling job sounds amazing, but that job you described for me sounds like PERFECTION. I LOVE.
Natalie @ The Ravenous Mommy
I miss hiking!
I want cookies AND cupcakes! Or if there was some combo of both I would devour it.
hellotofit
LOVE that you went on a hike to get grounded again, and gorgeous selife! I’m not a comfortable selfie-taker, yet (will I ever be? No clue). I love both cookies and cupcakes 🙂 could probably eat more cookies at once, though.
charissarunning
LOVE THIS POST. Everything about it from the Tolkien reference to your mountain hike to the pizza to the cupcakes to what you want to do for a living! (Did I leave anything out?!) I think I want to do more than one thing for a living too though (who doesn’t?!). I’d love to be an Epidemiologist/runner/running coach/blogger/wine connoisseur/coffee shop owner (I may need your guidance on that one!).
Brittany
Ah yes, I OFTEN daydream about owning a coffee shop where I sell my homemade baked goods.
Britta
Ohhhhhh! Can we just meet and hug each other and never ever let go? I love this post.
Lately I have been feeling the need to cry all the time. When I was in Vancouver 10 days ago I was at spin and this song came on and I cried in a spin class. Repeat: IN A SPIN CLASS. I mean, really? Anywho, it was lovely anyway and I hope you cried at the top of the mountain. Something just triggers us and I think its important to let that happen and not leave it bottled in. XO
Desserts look unreal, as always!!!
Brittany
GOSH I adore ya. I can totally picture you crying in spin, and I can totally picture myself doing something similar. Shit, when my breakup was super fresh I had triggers EVERYWHERE, including in spin. HAHA.
Amy @ A Desert Girl
Ahhh, that hike. Beautiful. And I really like your selfie. 🙂 You are so pretty!
Brittany
THANK YOU my friend, as are YOU!
briana1010
Seeing pictures of your hike makes me want to leave the city (just for a minute, then I’m back to loving it)!
And, cupcakes 100% – we have a local fancy cupcake shop called Kick Ass Cupcakes and they are my favorite treat at the end of a long day.
brittanylesserfitness
Soon beautiful!!! I feel the same way with my career choice.. I still have no idea what I ultimately want to do with my life haha. I still have a little ways to go with school, but i’ll just wander for now and see where life takes me 😉
paulznewpostbox
I like cup cakes! Check this out Brittany, http://wp.me/5njAU
Amy
Oh Brittany, I’m so proud of you for skipping the studying to hike. Seriously. It isn’t worth trying to cram facts into our brains when they aren’t going to stick because our minds (and hearts) would rather be elsewhere. It’s completely worth taking the time off to do something that fulfills us because we’ll be in a much better mindset when we come back. But still… Hooray for winter breaks!!
And no, even as a blogger, I did not settle on just “one thing” that I do as a living. I do everything that comes along with writing a blog post, plus all of the social media stuff (a full-time job itself!), freelance recipe development work, and eBook editing. And there’s still so much I want to do. So I’m really glad you aren’t trying to pigeonhole yourself into one “job” for your entire life — that sounds a little too boring for me!
Brittany
Life is WAYYY too short for that!!
Jane
I’m so glad you got a chance to hike! I think I would find it difficult to go that long without one. I find it helps my mind and body so much. I like the happy selfie at the top. 🙂 And of course hiking gives us a good excuse to refuel and enjoy all those yummy treats! Really enjoyed seeing pics of your wander. Have a happy day. 🙂
Aja
I always love your hiking pictures. It’s nice to see them again. Those cupcakes also look delicious!
50statecanuck
I probably need to learn how to wander more.
Always cookies…with cupcakes, I’m only interested in the icing!!
“Tornado inhaled”??!! I am so using this!!
kamillej2014
Food and exercise – my 2 favourite things(apart from my family of course!) Love your hiking and food pics. Thanks for taking us along:)
Skinny jeans Mum
Ellie
You must feel so relaxed and Zen for being balanced. I think I’m almost at a point where I am too. I definitely have not settled on what I want to do for the rest of my life. I just want to me be happy and content. I think I’m a cookie person but if a cupcake happens to be in the way of the milk in my fridge I will not say no 😉
Brittany
“If a cupcake happens to be in the way of the milk in my fridge I will not say no.” <—-probably the best thing I've heard all day.
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani)
It looks like your break is off to a great start. Glad you got in some me time- so important!!
annaethain
What a gorgeous view! Those cupcakes look amazing too. I love wandering in nature and its ability to put the world right in my head. 🙂
Arman @ thebigmansworld
Oh dear, I think we must be wandering together…which as long as there is some form of income to keep you satisfied, is a-okay in my book. Glad you got time in the mountains- you totally only went there to get cupcakes afterwards.
Brittany
You know me too well….hikes always mean cupcakes.
di @ life of di.
I can relate! And I think it’s totally normal to wander in your 20s (and even into your 30s!) How else are we supposed to find out what we want in life?! This is the perfect time to explore before you’re tied down with a spouse + kiddos (in the best ways, of course 😉 )
PS- Cookies!! I totally thought I would say cupcakes but I really thought about it and cookies, for sure! Oatmeal raisin, oatmeal scotches, sugar, chocolate chip, no bake, peanut butter, pistachio, snickerdoodles = AMAZING!!
Brittany
I have been craving an oatmeal cookie for DAYS…DAYS I TELL YOU!
Change of Pace
So glad you got out on a solo hike, and that you had the top to yourself! I think you have to fuel your soul if you want to do well in other parts of your life.
Ha- I wish I could say I’m 100% happy with what I’m doing in life. In the meantime, my job is decent and helps allow us to travel and enjoy life!
apartmentwife
such a lovely post, brit. i remember having similar thoughts when i was living in mexico (i volunteered at an orphanage for 9 months) about trying to divine a life path when you aren’t necessarily concerned about money/career success/etc. i ended up going to grad school for art (which, like i mentioned, was a battle all its own), but i couldn’t have predicted meeting a guy, deciding not to do the PhD, and then moving to wisconsin & minneapolis<3
Ashley
I love this post. the money thing has been a big struggle for me this past year in self-employment. I know i’m happiest doing my own thing but it’s not quite as profitable as a “real” job… so yeah. I have to say that if you can be happy with a minimalist lifestyle, you’re opening SO MANY MORE DOORS for yourself in life than a person who needs a huge paycheck to be okay with life. so… keep doing your thing. that is all 🙂
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
This is wonderful. Now, the hard part, keep doing these things for yourself, especially when you are sucked back into the vortex of school. It will help keep you happy and sane, both far more valuable than money.
meridethcohrs
I always love your posts – beautiful photography and a beautiful perspective 🙂
Brittany
Thank you, and thank you for reading! 🙂
Miss Polkadot
While not wandering – downside of living smack-dab in a city without any mountains as hiking options around – I know the best way to sort out any confusion or anxiety for me is walking or running outside, too. I’ve followed along the stressful journey you’re currently on and reading you know ways to [literally] stay on top of things/get there is so SO wonderful to see. Not everybody can [like me … settling on what I want to do is so. damn. hard].
Excuse me but I can’t help feeling like it was destiny you were up there alone – and taking your own picture. Because YOU can do it all.
Matt @ Runner Savvy
Total wanderer here!
P
Wandering breaks are absolutely part of life. It’s such a GOOD “waste” of time 😉
Also, those cupcakes are much deserved!!!
Luv What You Do
I love seeing your wanderings on Instagram!
You are so lucky to have such great mountains to wander in. Love the quote and need to save that! I am a cookie girl over cupcakes, usually!
As for life decisions…I as that rare breed who wrote in their 8th grade letter to myself what I wanted to do and now I’m doing it. I’m grateful every day that I somehow found this track, but I’m not quite sure how it happened. however, I still continue to grow and have new ideas (like adding in yoga)
GiGi Eats Celebrities
You wander so much that I bet all the miles you racked up equal you walking all the way down to LA… Soooooooooo lets make this happen AGAIN! LOL! Or better yet, let my fat ass GET UP AND WALK TO YOU!
Melanie
I’m always absolutely amazed by how gorgeous your hikes are! You live in such a beautiful place. I also love that you go hiking by yourself sometimes. That sounds so therapeutic and relaxing to me. That pizza looks divine and I want to eat all of those cupcakes right off of the screen!
foodielovesfitness
I can so relate to your need to wander and hike around — I definitely feel like this sometimes too! Isn’t it so liberating to just get lost on a trail and breath in the beauty around you? Often I start a hike with a dilemma, and end it with an answer I was searching for. Actually, I really wanted to get a hike in the past week before I travel for the holidays, but unfortunately it rained here on the days I could go. Oh well, the mountains will still be here come 2015 🙂
Lucie Elizabeth (@CollectingLight)
I love how deep this post was! Im a wanderer too….its the best way, is it not? To just cling where necessary and let go of what doesn’t serve you. So glad you got to go on that hike. You always look beautiful, even at the top of a damned mountain!
theglowwithin.com
dcarmack
Both of my sons are moving to the Seattle area. Where is that hike at you photographed? One boy will be at Whidbey Island and one will be at University in Seattle.
Brittany
This hike was at Rattlesnake Ridge in the Northbend area, about 30 minutes outside of Seattle. Check out my page called “Explore” for more hikes in that area!! They will love Wasington. 🙂
nearlywes
That is a beautiful outlook on life 🙂 very inspiring.
Thecakediaries
Really beautiful blog Britney. Very nicely written. I look forward to many more.
liveyourdreamznow
Love your blog. I am an avid hiking and exploring being plant based so you cover both of my interests in one blog
katalysthealth
Girl you are so real, and that’s why I love you. I’m a minimalist in life as well [unless were talking food!] and I’ve never been out to get rich or make it big. I just want to leave my mark and get what I can from this small amount of time I have on this earth. Oh, and eat as many cookies and cakes as I can 😉
Brittany
You have the nicest comments, really they mean a lot to me. 🙂
tpa72
I love everything you said in this post. Wandering, eating, cupcakes, pizza, being alone…empty mind, filled soul (and stomach, of course hehehe) . 🙂
harveylisam
Mmm, those cupcakes. And I completely agree — sometimes a solo hike is just exactly what you need. I’m a big fan.
Christina Does It All
Eeee love these lovely pictures and the minimalist lifestyle attitude. I completely agree—I save most of my leisurely money for traveling because new experiences/places (in my humble opinion) most always top all the things. Also, give me a cupcake.
willrunforpizza
GORGEOUS view! I can totally understand the wandering…and those emotions of being in a chapter where it is SO freaking hard to find a balance with what you NEED to do, and what you WANT to do. Sure, I wanna make good money, but doing what i’m passionate about is SOOOO much more worthwhile. Ugh, typically cookies, but if it’s a vegan cupcake like what you had, I’d take those! We have THE BEST vegan bakery around here and if it was close enough, I’d be there everyday. haha
allieksmith
I know how you feel about being okay with the work/money/enjoyment balance… I would rather enjoy my life and do the things I love vs. make a ton of money and be semi-happy. I totally agree. And I am also totally okay with doing odd jobs because they’re ME, ya know?!
Also… that lemon blueberry cupcake. YUM.
The Vegan 8
What an amazing post girl! I can only imagine that feeling you had at the top of the mountain, pure accomplishment. You are amazing. You are smart too, money is nothing if you aren’t free and feel balance. Yes, we do have to make a living and you never know where life takes you, but as long as you are at peace, that is what is most and MORE important than anything.
Ok, now onto that FOOD. Holy moly that pizza looks so good and those cupcakes, I almost die and died laughing picturing you in your car inhaling the pumpkin bread, LOL!
Brittany
YES YES YES. Your comments always make me smile. I really cannot wait until we can SHARE a cupcake and talk about life.
asmukti
I like your choice to go to the mountain. You take a good selfie too 🙂
stateeats
Britt – you definitely do not have to be one thing. I’m an attorney and a author/writer and a blogger. And look at someone like Padma Lashikmi. She was a model, then a writer, then a TV host and also an entrepreneur. I think the world needs more multi-hyphens. – Kat
Brittany
Amen my friend, amen!